262 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



no whiskers [meaning myself] can't shoot no better than 

 a owd cow. As for the lawyer man, danged if he's touched 

 a feather. Oi tell ee, without a word of a lie, mate, he 

 do shut both eyes every time he do pull. I heve watched 

 'un, cos I do carry his cartridge bag, loike " ; and so forth. 



Were I to say that I felt either pleased or flattered at 

 being classed as an inferior shot to the proverbial cow 

 with the musket, I should scarcely tell the truth. 

 Nevertheless, I could not but join in the merriment of my 

 companions, who had also heard every word uttered by 

 the rustic critics ; and the genial lawyer, who laughed 

 loudest of all, unblushingly confessed that he did shut 

 both eyes each time he fired. " It is a nervous habit," 

 said he, " which I have never been able to break myself 

 of, passionately fond though I am of shooting." 



" What is the best bag you ever made single-handed, 



M ? " was H 's somewhat unhappy question, 



when the merriment at the expense of the templar 

 and myself had somewhat subsided. 



" One unfortunate rabbit, which, probably tired of 

 life, must have deliberately run up to the very muzzle 

 of my gun ; for when I opened my eyes, after firing, there 

 he lay, decapitated, almost at my feet. But that never- 

 to-be-forgotten shot was made many years ago," was 

 M 's candid reply. 



Nothing further was said on the subject, and M 



fired and missed to his heart's content during the re- 

 mainder of the day, while I improved somewhat in my 

 shooting. 



