ROUND THE BOUNDARIES 159 



An hour or so later they start again. 

 The shooting this time Is In the opposite 

 direction. Master presently disappears to- 

 wards a railway visible below. A little 

 covert lies between a turnpike road and a 

 deep cutting. Keeper and dogs enter this 

 with the result of sending a brace "very 

 hicrh " over master standlno^ on the line. 

 One falls with a crash on the very bank of 

 the river which adjoins the line, and as the 

 sportsman goes to get him, a hen rises from 

 some brambles, and starts off to cross, too, 

 but death meets her in the air. Into the 

 water she goes splash. Fortunately, a boat 

 is moored just below, and before the keeper 

 can get down the hill both birds are laid 

 together, and his master is looking for a 

 possible duck in a bushy backwater. Duck 

 there is none ; but keeper kicks out a hare 



