308 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



will you go and get some eggs from Mrs Thomas ? " I 

 replied. 



"No, by Jove, old man ; I would rather face a squadron 

 of dragoons than Mrs Bailiff, for, to tell you the truth, I am 

 horribly afraid of her. Oh, that terrible breadth of beam ! 

 I am confoundedly scared at Rufus, although perhaps I 

 might hold my own with him in fair fight ; but ask Mrs 

 Rufus for eggs — never ! " 



" You miserable lump of cowardice," I scornfully 

 replied to B , who really did appear afraid to ap- 

 proach the bailiff's wife for the required eggs. " Watch 

 the ham and take care it doesn't burn, while I go for the 

 eggs myself." 



I did not go to our amiable hostess, but to the hen- 

 house which stood at the back of the homestead, and was 

 invisible from the kitchen windows. After foraging round 

 a bit I managed to secure three hen's and one duck's eggs 

 from the nests, and stowing the plunder in my coat- 

 pocket, quietly but quickly returned to the living-room, 

 where I found B holding on to the handle of the frying- 

 pan, with his eyes raining tears, and coughing violently, 

 amidst a cloud of smoke that filled the room, and indeed 

 went everywhere but up the chimney. 



" Great fun this camping-out sort of life, ain't it. 

 Jack ? " Jack, didn't hear — or pretended not to. 



Telling my companion to lay the Standard on the 

 table (we couldn't find a table-cloth), I soon finished cook- 

 ing the ham and eggs, and having made a good square 

 meal, we took the guns out of their cases, put a few Nos. 



