OWLS. 



the owl tribe, and we agreed, ' nem. con., 7 that 

 he was a most wonderful bird. 



" Le Comte put him into the game larder atop 

 of some wood, and he sat there as knowing as 

 possible. Poor MacA. was in an awful state, 

 and he really did not get through his chdblis 

 and oysters so quickly as usual. He had always 

 a good twist of his own, and was certainly no 

 bottle shirker. Before we went to bed, which was 

 somewhere about two, he insisted on drinking 

 the owl's health, with 'three times three/ and 

 rolled upstairs more jovial than I had seen him 

 for some time. 



" The next morning we went to have a look 

 at the owl ; but he was gone, and nowhere 

 to be found. We hunted high and low, but to 

 no purpose ; the bird had evidently taken its 

 departure. That day we had splendid sport, 

 killing ten couple of cocks, and came home tired 

 and wet, for about three o'clock it had set in 

 with snow and sleet. We got through our din- 

 ner as usual, but a.bout twelve o'clock, as we 

 were half dozing before our huge wood fire, we 

 heard three knocks at the front door. 'Who 

 can that be,' said I, jumping up, ' come at this. 



