THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 241 



" There is not a better shot than Jack in the country, 

 sir," replied Perren ; " and as to vermin-catching, not a 

 crow nor a magpie can escape him, much less a weasel or 

 a stoat. I'll back him, indeed, to kill magpies against any 

 keeper in England." 



" How does he go to work 1 " inquired Frank Raby. 



"Why, sir, perhaps you will smile when I tell you,' 1 

 answered the keeper ; "he gets a live magpie and a cat r 

 and has them staked down near to a wood, within a certain 

 distance of each other, but not quite within reach, when 

 the cries of the bird, at fear of the cat, are so loud and 

 unnatural as to bring every magpie in the wood to the 

 spot. He is sure to get a double shot ; and such is the 

 infatuation of these birds, by the scene that is going on r 

 that they return to the spot, and thus afford him a second,, 

 and sometimes a third chance." 



" By the way, Perren," said our hero, " I heard a good 

 story of a magpie the other day in London or, I had 

 rather said, the mention of the bird was very happily 

 applied. A friend of the Prince of Wales, who says many 

 good things, and is to a certain extent privileged to say 

 them in the royal presence, was complimenting his Royal 

 Highness on the excellence of his cook, adding that he 

 supposed ' there was only one pie which baffled his skill.' 

 ' What pie is that 1 ' inquired the Prince. ' Why, sir/ 

 replied the wag, ' he cannot make a mac/pie.' " 



" And how are you off for foxes ? ;) continued Frank 

 Raby. "Although I do not hunt in this country, and 

 perhaps never shall do so, I am not on that account the- 

 less anxious that a good head of foxes should be found in 

 it, and in our own covers especially." 



" We were not deficient last season, sir," replied the 

 keeper ; " and they have whipped off from two heavy 

 vixens within the last fortnight ; there is also a litter of 

 cubs already in the Big Wood ; but a bad misfortune 

 happened to Jack, a few weeks back. He laid a trap over- 

 night for a polecat, and found a fox in it in the morning, 

 and, what was worst of all, a heavy vixen, almost ready to* 

 lay up her cubs." 



" And what then 1 " exclaimed our young sportsman 

 hastily ; " was she dead ? " 



"She was not dead, sir," replied the keeper, "but her 

 leg was so dreadfully mangled that I cut off the injured 

 part and let her go. She was, however, found dead, a few? 

 16 



