COVERT-SHOOTING. 129 



consisted principally of the host, a statesman of some 

 distinction, and his sons and sons-in-law. Rules there 

 v/ere none, all seemed to go where they liked. The 

 guns were like the flaming swords at the gate of Eden, 

 and pointed every way ; three or four shots went at 

 every pheasant as soon as he got a yard from the 

 ground, the numerous family firing indiscriminately, 

 and apparently, like French soldiers or young recruits 

 when excited, from the hip. At one point all the 

 game seemed to be going back, and on my calling the 

 keeper's attention to this, he said, "Yes, I'm most 

 afear'd Mr Edmund has got a-talking." Mr. Edmund 

 was the youngest son, who had gone forward with a 

 college companion to a point where hares were ex- 

 pected to cross. I knew him well, a sharp youth, 

 with very advanced views, and as he never did any- 

 thing else but talk, this result did not surprise me ; but 

 even I was unprepared for what I saw when we came 

 up to him. He and the college friend were standing 

 about thirty yards apart, with their guns laid aside 

 against trees, carrying on an animated argument in 



K 



