WARWICK WOODLANDS. 113 



he will never complain of cartridges, after a single trial. 

 Remember, too, that vice versa to the rule of a loose 

 charge, the heavier yon load with powder, the closer will 

 your cartridge carry. The men who do not like cartridges 

 are — you may rely upon it — of the class which prefers 

 scattering guns. I always use them, ercept in July shoot- 

 ing, and I shall even put a few red in my pockets, in case 

 the wind should get up in the afternoon. Besides which, 

 I always take along two buckshot cartridges, in case of 

 happening , as Timothy would say, on some big varmint. 

 I have four pockets in my shooting waistcoat, each 

 stitched off into four compartments — each of which holds, 

 erect, one cartridge — you cannot carry them loose in your 

 pocket, as they are very apt to break. Another advantage 

 of this is, that in no way can you carry shot with so little 

 inconvenience, as to weight; besides which, you load one 

 third quicker, and your gun never leads!" 



"Well ! I believe I will take some to-day — but don't you 

 wait for the Commodore?" 



"N'o! He drives up, as I told you, from Nyack, where 

 he lands from his .yacht, and will be here at twelve o'clock 

 to luncheon ; if he had been coming for the morning 

 shooting, he would have been here ere this. By that time 

 we shall have bagged twenty-five or thirty quail, and a 

 ruffed grouse or two ; besides driving two or three bevies 

 down into the meadows and the alder bushes by the 

 stream, which are quite full of woodcock. After lunch- 

 eon, with the Commodore's aid we will pick up these 

 stragglers, and all the timber-doodles!" 



In another moment the setters were unchained, and 

 came careering, at the top of their speed, into the break- 

 fast room, where Harry stood before the fire, loading his 

 double gun, while Timothy was buttoning on his left 

 leggin. Frank, meanwhile, had taken up his gun, and 

 quietly sneaked out of the door, two flat irregular reports 

 explaining, half a moment after, the purport of his ab- 

 sence. 



"Well, nov\', Frank, that is" — expostulated Harry — "that 

 J.S just the most snobbish thing I ever saw yovi do; aint 

 you ashamed of yourself now, you genuine cockney!" 



"Not a bit — my gun has not been used these three 

 months, and something might have got into the chamber!" 



