WARWICK WOODLANDS. 115 



They came up close, quite close to the stanch dog, and 

 then, but not till then, he feathered and drew on, and 

 Shot came crawling up till his nose was but a few inches 

 in the rear of Chase's whose point he never thought of 

 taking from him. Now they are both upon the gam«. 

 See how they frown and slaver, the birds are close below 

 their noses. 



Whirr — r — r! "There they go — a glorious bevy!" ex- 

 claimed Harry, as he cocked his right barrel and cut down 

 the old cock bird, which had risen rather to his right 

 hand, with his loose charge — "blaze away, Frank!" Bang 

 — bang! — and two more birds came fluttering down, ana 

 then he pitched his gun up to his eye again, and sent the 

 cartridge after the now distant bevy, and to Frank's ad- 

 miration a fourth bird was keeled over most beautifully, 

 and clean killed, while crossing to the right, at forty-six 

 yards, as they paced it afterward. 



"Now mark! mark, Timothy — mark, Frank!" And 

 shading their eyes from the level sunbeams, the three 

 stood gazing steadily after the rapid bevy. They cross the 

 pasture, skim very low over the brush fence of the corn- 

 field — they disappear behind it — they are down! no no! 

 not yet — they are just skirting the summit of the topped 

 maize stalks — now they are down indeed, just by that old 

 ruined hovel, where the cat-briers and sumach have over- 

 spread its cellar and foundation with thick underwood. 

 And all the while the sturdy dogs are crouching at their 

 feet unmoving. 



"Will you not follow those. Harry?" Forester inquired — 

 "there are at least sixteen of them !" 



"Not I." said Archer, " not I, indeed, till I have beat 

 this field — I expect to put up another bevy among those 

 little crags there in the corner, where the red cedars grow 

 — and if we do, they will strike down the fence of the 

 buckwheat stubble — that stubble we must make good, and 

 the rye beside it, and drive, if possible, all that we find 

 before u-s to the cornfield. Don't be impatient, and you'll 

 see in time that I am in the right." 



No more words were now wasted; the four birds were 

 bagged without trouble, and the sportsmen being in the 

 open, were handed over on the spot to Tim; who stroked 

 their freckled breasts, and beautifully mottled wing- 



