'ST. PARTRIDGE I' 197 



as domestic creatures, settling close to and on 

 more than one occasion absolutely upon my 

 person. Is it I wonder a matter of common 

 knowledge that butterflies are like birds and 

 other living things, in that, where they know 

 man they avoid him, but where he is new to 

 them, are as fearless as birds under similar 

 circumstances ? 



Towards ten o'clock we left the river-bed, 

 and then it was that our work began ; and 

 remembering that to-day was September 1, 

 thoughts crossed our mind of those cool places 

 under high hawthorn hedges in Old England 

 where, when the morning's ground had been 

 beaten, the hamper would be unpacked, and 

 certain sparkling ' refreshers ' from bottles 

 brilliant in silver foil, or big-bellied honest 

 brown jugs, would be administered to the 

 weary gunner. Alas, that we had nothing 

 better to drink j^our health in ' St. Partridge ' 

 than the mountain stream afforded : none of 



