20 WARWICK WOODLAXDS. 



I guess we must beat the 'Squire's swamp-hole first; 

 there's ten or twelve cock there, I know; I see them there 

 myself last Sunday; and then aerost them buck-wheat 

 stubbles, and the big bog meadow, there's a drove of quail 

 there; two or three bevys got in one, I reckon; leastwise 

 I counted thirty-three last Friday was a week; and 

 through Seer's big swamp, over to the great spring!" 



"How is Seer's swamp? too wet, I fancy," Archer inter- 

 posed, "at least I noticed, from the mountain, that all the 

 leaves were changed in it, and that the maples were quite 

 bare." 



"Pretty fair, pretty fair, I guess," replied stout Tom, "I 

 harnt been there myself though, but Jem was down with 

 the hoimds arter an old fox t'other day, and sure enough 

 he said the cock kept flopping up quite thick afore him; 

 but then the critter will lie, Harry; he ivill lie like thun- 

 der, you know ; but somehow I concaits there be cock there 

 too; and then, as I was saying, we'll stop at the great 

 spring and get a bite of summat, and theii beat Hell-hole ; 

 youll have sport there for sartin ! What dogs have you got 

 with you, Harry?" 



"Your old friends. Shot and Chase, and a couple of 

 spaniels for thick covert !" 



"Now gentlemen, your suppers are all ready." 



"Come, Tom," cried Archer; "you must take a bite with 

 us — Tim, bring us in three bottles of champagne, and lots 

 of ice, do you hear?" 



And the next moment we found ourselves installed in a 

 snug parlor, decorated with a dozen sporting prints, a blaz- 

 ing hickory fire snapping and sputtering and roaring in a 

 huge Franklin stove; our luggage safely stowed in various 

 comers, and Archer's double gun-case propped on two 

 chairs below the window. 



An old-fashioned round table, covered with clean white 

 linen of domestic manufacture, displayed the noble round 

 of beef which we had brought up with ufi, flanked by a 

 platter of magnificent potatoes, pouring forth volumes of 

 dense steam through the cracks in their dusky skins; a 

 lordly dish of butter, that might have pleased the appetite 

 of Sisera; while eggs and ham, .and pies of apple, mince- 

 meat, cranberry, and custard, occupied every vacant space, 

 ?ave wherp two ponderous pitchers, mantling with ale and 

 eider, and two respectable square bottles labelled "Old 



