FIRST COUNTRY BOOKS 141 



her cheese-making ; here are mills and millers ; and 

 Jefferies himself delighting in throwing trees ; ' The Snn ' 

 at Coate ; the ' Hodson Ground '; and his favourite ballad 

 of Dowsabell. To judge from a reference in ' Cuckoo 

 Fields,' he had revisited Coate in 1879 at about the time 

 when the farmhouse and lands were sold. But there is 

 no trace of that in the gossip about Hilary : 



' If you should be visiting Okebourne Chace, and any 

 question should arise, whether of horses, dog, or gun, you 

 arc sure to be referred to Hilary. Hilary knows all 

 about it : he is the authority thereabout on all matters 

 concerning game. Is it proposed to plant fresh covers ? 

 Hilary's opinion is asked. Is it proposed to thin out some 

 of the older trees ? What does Hilary say ? 



* It is a fact that people really believe no part of a 

 partridge is ever taken away after being set before him. 

 Neither bones nor sinews remain : so fond is he of the 

 brown bird. Having eaten the breast, and the juicy leg 

 and the delicate wing, he next proceeds to suck the bones ; 

 for game to be thoroughly enjoyed should be eaten like 

 a mince-pie, in the fingers. There is always one bone 

 with a sweeter flavour than the rest, just at the joint 

 or fracture : it varies in every bird, according to the 

 chance of cooking, but, having discovered it, put it aside 

 for further and more strict attention. Presently he 

 begins to grind up the bones in his strong teeth, com- 

 mencing with the smallest. His teeth are not now so 

 powerful as when in younger days he used to lift a sack 

 of wheat with them, or the full milking bucket up to the 

 level of the copper in the dairy. Still, they gradually 

 reduce the slender skeleton. The feat is not so difificult 

 if the bird has been well hung. . . . 



' As we sat in his house one evening, there grew upon 

 our ears a peculiar sound, a humming deep bass, some- 

 what resembling the low notes of a piano with a pressure 

 on the pedal. It increased and became louder, coming 

 from the road which passed the house ; it was caused by 

 a very large flock of sheep driven slowly. The individual 



