166 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



touching feather or fur. Our host one of the kindliest 

 of men feeling sorry for the little sportsman, and realising 

 that driven partridges were utterly beyond his ken, sent 

 him off with a keeper and a well-broken cocker spaniel 

 to work some thick double hedgerows for outlying 

 pheasants. 



We had just finished a successful drive and were 

 moving off to take up our stands for another one, when 

 the report of Mr. Leather's gun reached our ears. A few 

 minutes later the spaniel came limping across a wide 

 stubble, " pen and inking " for all he was worth. 



" By Jove ! Leather has peppered my best cocker ! " 

 exclaimed our host, as the dog ran up to him, bearing 

 unmistakable signs of having been shot in the hind- 

 quarters. Scarcely were the words uttered than the 

 sportsman in question came into view, waving his arms 

 frantically and shouting " Help ! help ! " 



" Hanged if I don't believe our friend has made a 

 double event of it and winged the keeper to boot," quietly 

 remarked the Captain, as we sprinted towards the spot. 



Sure enough the little man had scored a double event 

 for, upon firing at a hen pheasant as it blundered out 

 of the hedgerow, he missed the bird but hit both the 

 dog and the keeper, who happened to be beating on the 

 further side of the fence. 



" I owe you ten pounds, Mr. Leather, for you certainly 

 did make a heavier bag than did I myself this after- 

 noon/' said the Captain in the smoking-room that night. 



" Thankee. I'll send it to Velveteens as a plaster to 

 heal his wounds," was the unblushing reply of our fellow 

 guest. 



