40 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



" Could we not get a moufflon ? " asked my comrade. But 



B shook his head. It was out of the question in such 



weather as this. 



"What then?" we said, somewhat anxiously. Forth- 

 with, our guest propounded an idea he had formed that we 

 should have a rough day in the macchie and river estuaries, 



after (and W heard it with a blush !) the very small game 



in which continental sportsmen delight, varied by perhaps a 

 duck or two, in fact, anything we came across, until such 

 time as the clouds chose to lift from the hills and give us a 

 chance of searching their summits for better game. This 

 was the best he had to offer us. Though not much, it was 

 better than hanging about the hotel verandah, smoking in- 

 different tobacco, and wondering where on earth the sun- 

 shine we had come so far to find had got to. It was there- 

 fore agreed on, and an early start the next morning being 

 arranged, we said good night, and " turned in," in a much 

 better frame of mind. 



Half -past eight a.m., and the light clatter of wooden 

 shoes on the red tiles outside my room roused one even 

 before the fille-de-chambre's tap on the door, and the 

 ostentatious clatter of her hot water can became audible. 

 A little while later, we two Englishmen met in the coffee- 

 room, where we were soon joined by R , who pointed out 



the happy fact that it was a glorious morning, with a lovely 

 sky, and every prospect of fine sport before us. 



Breakfast over (and on such occasions one is apt to make 

 short work of it), our mules were announced at the door. 



We, therefore, strap up the game bags (which R , to whom 



we left the provisioning of the expedition, has filled so full 

 of lunch and bottles that they can only be fastened with the 

 greatest difficulty), and when this is over, lighting our pipes, 

 we sally out to our steeds in the courtyard, ready saddled, 

 their head-gear bedecked with numbers of little red tassels 

 which they shake to keep off the flies. My two companions, 

 who have beasts of discretion, mount without trouble, but 



