BROADLAND SPORT 



was, in his day, numbered, with good reason, amongst them. 

 Jack Sparrow was a born poacher, and, what is more to his 

 credit, a born sportsman. True it is he had a rough- 

 and-ready manner, which was apparent in all his dealings, 

 yet at heart he was good enough, and everything else 

 in life was forgotten by him when real sport could be 

 anticipated. 



Jack's great weakness was the bottle ; he could not 

 refuse an offer, and thought the best brand of liquids he ever 

 tasted was "other people's." He could not refuse a drink, 

 except, perhaps, it was of water ; even then he would hesitate 

 and, maybe, accept it, in the hope that something better would 

 follow like the dainty dog which eats bread not because he 

 likes it, but from artfulness in attempting to make the feeder 

 believe that he is really hungry. 



At the village alehouse Jack was a hero. He could lower 

 a quart without drawing breath; he could thrash anyone 

 within a radius of two miles (a mighty accomplishment in the 

 eyes of other rustics); he could shoot five sparrows out of six 

 from flower-pots at twenty yards, and would bet with con- 

 fidence upon the result an even bob; he could tickle tench, 

 snare pike, set gins and horsehair snoozes against the best; 

 and last, but by no means least, he could talk politics, tell 

 real genuine lies, and swear any would-be candidate for 

 parliamentary distinction to a standstill. 



All Jack's so-called accomplishments have not been 

 enumerated, because to do so would only weary the reader, 

 whilst, on the contrary, this last anecdote concerning him may 

 arouse interest and help to beguile a span of idleness. 



Amongst Jack's many patrons was one a friend of the 

 author's who had retired from business and desired to lead a 

 secluded life in the precincts of the village green. He pur- 

 chased, amongst other things, a little house with garden and 

 stabling, a pony-cart, a young retriever, a small yacht, a 

 dinghy, and the necessary equipments of the chase. Then he 

 hired three hundred acres of mixed shooting, and Jack was duly 

 installed as keeper and as general help to the establishment. 



