148 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



shot, or handled even, and I was admiring the beautiful 

 rufous-red plumage of the bird (the American woodcock 

 is of about the size of a double snipe, and very much 

 darker and brighter in colour than the European species) , 

 when three shots rang out in quick succession from Mac's 

 pump-gun. 



" Hoots, mon, but it keeps one busy to kill a brace o' 

 'cock and an ould jack-rabbit with three shots ! " quoth 

 the farmer, holding up a couple of woodcock and a forest 

 hare, or, as the Canadian has it, jack-rabbit, for my 

 edification. 



It certainly was a remarkably clever shot, but Mac 

 proved himself to be a very fine shot ; indeed, I do not 

 think he missed feather or fur throughout the morning, 

 despite the fact that his repeating gun was an extremely 

 heavy and cumbrous weapon. 



Again old " Zaza" took a dive into a clump of under- 

 covert, and out came another 'cock within very easy 

 range of me. To the evident amusement of my fellow- 

 gun, the bird beat me by doubling in and out among the 

 bushes, the contents of my second barrel cutting through 

 foliage a good two feet behind him. 



Three beats of the cedar swamps were made, and seven 

 and a half couple of woodcock and a leash of hares were 

 bagged, but I am bound to confess that the greater number 

 of the longbills were accounted for by my companion. 



At no great distance from the cedar swamp lay, in the 

 very heart of the woods, a small lake or lagoon, round 

 the shores of which, Mac told me, we were likely to pick 

 up a duck or two, with, perchance, a few brace of ruffed 

 grouse. Before reaching the lake-shore we had to pass 

 through many acres of wild raspberry canes, which earlier 



