234 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



lived far away ; the house was haunted, and no 

 one would go near it ; that it had been' dis- 

 mantled in the time of Robespierre during the 

 Eevolution of 1793 and 1794. As we had not 

 come for the purpose of house exploring but 

 shooting, we started off into the wood, and 

 separated, agreeing, if we lost one another, to 

 meet at the chateau at three p.m. 



I shot for some time with tolerable success, 

 but I heard my brother and Debenham blazing 

 away right and left, which showed they were 

 having much better sport than myself. My 

 retriever, too, showed an extraordinary desire to 

 leave me and join the others. I presently got 

 to the outside of the wood, and found the other 

 two were shooting along the edge, about a hun- 

 dred or a hundred and fifty yards in. An idea 

 occurred to me that I would have some fun with 

 them. 



The cover was very thick, and they had no 

 retriever with them. Presently there was bang, 

 bang. Di looked wistfully at me, and on my 

 bidding her " go fetch," she was off like a 

 shot, and in a minute came back with a wood- 

 cock. 



