IIO AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



" Now, look you here, Cox," I continued. 

 " You meet me on Saturday night, at the end 

 of Old Beech Lane, and I'll show you the nest 

 I spoke of." This was the Thursday. 



" Agreed," said he. "I'll be there at a 

 quarter before eight." 



I left him, mightily pleased and much amused, 

 for I may as well mention here that that portion 

 of the wood never contained a single pheasant's 

 nest, the pheasants invariably nesting in the 

 lower woods. Notwithstanding this, I saw, in 

 my mind's eye, a nice little clump of briar, not 

 too thick, and a neatly made nest containing a 

 dozen eggs, underneath. I had not only to 

 make the nest, but also to lay the eggs, myself. 

 Father knew all the nests as well as I did, and 

 was very particular in counting the eggs, so I 

 had to take one here and another there, and 

 then I could only make up four or five, so I 

 made shift for the rest with rotten eggs. Then 

 I put them all into the nest with a good hand- 

 ful of pheasant's feathers, and arranged feathers 

 and eggs to look as much like the real thing as 

 possible, and very real it looked. " Now 



