68 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



rascals. Jump out, good dogs. Shot, Chase — hie up with 

 you !" and out they went rattling and scrambling tii ough 

 the brush-wood all four abreast! 



At the same moment Tim, leaning over into uic body 

 of the wagon, lugged out a brace of guns from their 

 leathern cases; Harry's short ounce ball rifle, and the long- 

 single barrelled duck gun. 



" 'T roifle is loaden wi' a single ball, and 't single goon 

 wi' yan of them green cartridges!" 



"Much good ball and buck-shot will do us against part- 

 ridge; nevertheless, if one trees, I'll try if I can't cut 

 his head off for him," said Archer, laughing. 



"Nay! nay! it be-ant book-shot; it's no but noomber 

 three; tak' hand on't Measter Draa, tak' baud on't. It's 

 no hoort thee, mon, and 't horses boath stand foire 

 cannily !" 



Scarce had Fat Tom obeyed his imperative solicitations, 

 and scarce had Tim taken hold of the ribbands which 

 Harry relinquished the moment he got the rifle into his 

 hands, before a most extraordinary hiibbub arose in the 

 little skirt of coppice to our left; the spaniels quested for 

 a second's space at the utmost, when a tremendous crash 

 of the branches arose, and both the setters gave tongue 

 furiously with a quick savage yell. 



The road at this point of the wood made a short and 

 very sudden angle, so as to enclose a small point of ex- 

 tremely dense thicket between its two branches; on one 

 of these was our wagon, and down the other the lumber- 

 wain was rumbling, at the moment when this strange and 

 most unexpected outcry started us all. 



"What in t' fient's neam is yon?" cried Timothy. 



"And what the devil's that?" responded I and Archer 

 in a breath. 



But whatever it was that had aroused the dogs to such 

 a most unusual pitch of fury, it went crashing through 

 the brush-wood for some five or six strokes at a fearful 

 rate toward the other wagon; before, however it had 

 reached the road, a most appalling shout from Jem, fol- 

 lowed upon the instant by the blended voices of all the 

 hounds opening at once, as on a view, excited us yet 

 farther ! 



I was still tugging at my double gun, in the vain hope 

 of getting it out time enough for action. Tom had 



