GAME. 221 



' Permission was once granted to us, through the kind- 

 ness of a Russian Director of the Government woods, to 

 have some shooting. Count Bisping's huntsman, who, I 

 have said, was a keen and experienced sportsman, had 

 been obliged, on account of the insurrection, to give up 

 his gun to this same Director ; and it was with no ordi- 

 nary satisfaction that be came to us one day, towards the 

 end of Apri), with a message from the Director, saying, 

 that, if the Count and I would like to have some wood- 

 cock shooting, we were to be at his house by five o'clock 

 the next evening The Count was unwilling at first to 

 embrace the offer, fearing lest he might thereby com- 

 promise the Director or himself ; and that the noise of 

 fire-arms in the forest might lead to collision with the 

 Russian soldiers. But, on further consideration, feeling 

 assured that the Director would not have sent such a 

 message without ample authority, he agreed to go. 

 Accordingly we started, at four o'clock, in an old post-cart 

 without springs, and a pair of horses ; and soon reached 

 the comfortable house of the Director, who was by birth 

 a German, and an intelligent and agreeable man. He 

 offered us coffee and cigarettes ; and showed us his 

 private room, hung round with various trophies of his 

 success in the chase : the antlered head of the elk, the 

 smaller head of the roe, the tusks of the wild boar, the 

 skins of the fox and bear. I also observed in a stand some 

 ver} 7 useful double-barrelled guns and rifles, in excellent 

 order. His equipment was after the style of German 

 sportsmen, who always carry a game-sack, like a railway 

 travelling-bag ; the powder-horn gracefully suspended 

 round the shoulder by a green cord (such as we use in 

 England for Venetian blinds) with large green tassels. 

 The shot-flask is carried in the pouch. The gun has a 

 beautifully-ornamented sling (generally worked in worsted 

 by some fair hand), with which they carry it hung round 

 the neck ; and it is, in my opinion, very much in the way. 



'After all preparations had been duly made, we 

 mounted our waggons, having for our advanced guard 



