WARWICK WOODLANDS. 101 



and treacle quantum suff : hey, Frank, that will set him to 

 rights, I warrant it. Now have you dined yourself, or 

 supped, as the good people here insist on calling it ?" 



"Weel Ay wot, have I, sur," responded Timothy; "an 

 hour agone and better." 



"Exactly; then step out yourself into the kitchen, and 

 make us a good cup of our own coffee, strong and hot, 

 do you see? and when that's done, bring it in with the 

 candles; and, hark you, run up to the bed-room and bring 

 my netting neddles down, and the ball of silk twist, and 

 the front of tliat new game-bag, I began the other night. 

 If you were not as lazy as possible, friend Frank, you 

 would bring your fly-book out, when the light comes, and 

 tie some hackles." 



"Perhaps I may, when the light comes," Forester an- 

 swered; "but I'm in no hurry for it; I like of all things 

 to look out, and watch the changes of the night over a 

 landscape even less beautiful than this. One half the pleas- 

 ure of field sports to me, is other than the mere excitement. 

 If there were nothing but the eagerness of the pursuit, and 

 the gratification of successful vanity, fond as I am of 

 shooting, I should, I believe, have long since wearied of 

 it ; but there are so many other things connected with it — 

 the wandering among the loveliest scenery — the full en- 

 joyment of the sweetest weather — the learning the innum- 

 erable and all-wondrous attributes and instincts of ani- 

 mated nature — all these are what make up to me the 

 rapture I derive from woodcraft ! Why, such a scene 

 as this — a scene which how few, save the vagrant sports- 

 man, or the countryman who but rarely appreciates the 

 picturesque, have ever witnessed — is enough, with the pure 

 and tranquil thoughts it calls up in the heart, to plead 

 a trumpet-tongued apology, for all the vanity, and useless- 

 ness, and cruelty, and what not, so constantly alleged 

 against our field sports." 



"Oh! yes," cried Harry; "yes, indeed, Frank, I per- 

 fectly agree with you. But all that last is mere humbug — 

 humbug, too, of the lowest and most foolish order — I 

 never hear a man droning about the cruelty of field sports, 

 but I set him down, on the spot, either as a hypocrite or 

 a fool, and probably a glorious union of the two. When 

 man can exist without killing myriads of animals with 

 every breath of vital air he draws, with every draught 



