116 BIED LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



in which they dwell. They are not much in the poacher's 

 line, and with fair play from the sportsman will probably be 

 well able to take care of themselves. As to the common 

 charge brought against them, the damage they do in pulling 

 off the young tips of the spruces and firs is as nothing to the 

 havoc made amongst those trees in the same way by the 

 squirrels ; but even were they very guilty on that count, 

 they are magnificent birds and well worth a little indulgence. 



We had been at lunch some few minutes, comfortably 

 seated in the long heather, with the provender spread out 

 in front and our guns behind, when a demand rose for water 

 to mix with some " whuskey " which we proposed to drink to 

 the success of our sport, and going down to fetch it from 



the little pool that bubbled up close at our feet, J put up 



a woodcock from the stones where it had been crouching and 

 watching us, certainly not twenty paces away. It was useless 

 for my companion to call to me to fire, for by the time I had 

 got my gun the "cock " was half way across the valley. 



Then our lunch proceeded in peace, and for a time we 

 divided our attention between aesthetic admiration of the 

 glorious wide prospect stretching around us in an amphi- 

 theatre . of rugged hills, broken here and there by pale 

 mountain tarns or rushing streamlets, and the more practical 

 occupation of demolishing beef sandwiches and emptying 

 sundry bottles of beer. It was curious to listen to the silence 

 which had come over the valley ; every one seemed to be at 

 tiffin like ourselves, all the guns were hushed, and nothing 

 broke the stillness but the occasional call of a grouse down 

 below getting his scattered family together, or the far-heard 

 whistle of a curlew. 



We spent half an hour over the after- tiffin pipe, and then 

 rather reluctantly roused ourselves, stretched, and after 

 having cairned the game and the luncheon basket with 

 heather and rocks, we shouldered arms and again proceeded 

 to carry the war into the enemy's country. 



The afternoon added a few brace to our total, a hare, 



