204 SPORTING REMINISCF.NCES 



hatching them out and coming up for a pound or 

 so for their freshly killed bodies." 



He offered five shillings to adjust matters. 

 Mrs. Cassidy lost her not too seraphic temper. 

 Her voice rose as the waves backed by wind and 

 tide. There was item, the Rolling Red^ cock, and 

 items, a variety of prize birds with combs roasting 

 off them ready to lay ; there were the colds which 

 she had caught leaping from her warm bed to 

 stop the divil's vilyin, the fox from whipping more 

 of her poultry yard. 



It was all for nothing, five shillings she had no 

 use for. A lone widdy woman had driven six mile 

 to explain things thoroughly, and, her voice 

 dropped as she delivered her ultimatum, " if she 

 was not to be paid maybe the Hunt Club would 

 find more dead in the covert than innicent hins." 



Firmness had to be kept up, but with a sinking 

 heart. The gorse was close to other good coverts. 

 Worse still ! what if the direst thing which can 

 wring a good Master's heart were to occur. . . . 

 If hounds picked up anything and fell writhing 

 and tormented because of this. Threats could not 

 be given in to — but . . . 



It did not give rest to an uneasy mind to drive 

 over the covert, root out the covert keeper and 

 be told by him that " the wickedness in that loud 

 one would nearly pison the foxes of itself." 



" Didn't her poor man an' he dyin' whisper to 



» Rhode Island Reds. 



