WARWICK WOODLANDS. 149 



darndest ragin,' you ever did hear tell on. Well, they 

 t\ik him clean out across the open, past Andy Joneses, and 

 they skeart up in his stubbles three bevies, I guess, got 

 into one like! there was a drove of them, I tell you, and 

 then they brought him back to the hills agin, and run 

 him twice clean round the Rocky Hill, and when they 

 came round the last time, the English sluts warn't half 

 a rod from his tail no how, and so he tried his last chance, 

 and he holed; but my! now, Mr. Aircher, by dam, you 

 niver did see nothin' like the partridges; they kept a 

 brushin' up, and brushin' up, and treein' every little while ; 

 I guess if I seen one I seen a hundred; why, I killed seven 

 on 'em with coarse shot up in the pines, and I daredn't 

 shoot exceptin' at their heads. If you'd go up there now, 

 to-morrow, and take the dogs alongs, I know as you'll git 

 fifty." 



"Well, if that's all your news, Jem, I won't give you 

 much for it; and, as for going into the mountains to 

 look after partridges, you don't catch me at it, that's all !" 

 said Harry. "Is that all?" 



"Not by a great shot!" answered Jem, grinning, "but 

 the truth is, I know you won't believe me; but I can tell 

 you what, you can kill a big fat buck, if you'll git up a 

 little afore daylight!" 



"A buck, Jem! a buck near here?" inquired Forester 

 and Archer in a breath. 



"I told you, boys, the critter couldn't help it ; he's stuck 

 to truth just so long, and he was forced to lie, or else he 

 would have busted !" 



"It's true, by thunder," answered Jem; I wish I mayn't 

 eat nor drink nother, if there's one bit of lie in it; d — n 

 the bit, Tom! I'm in airnest, now right down; and you 

 knows as I wouldn't go to lie about it!" 



"Well! well! where was't, Jem?" 



"Why, he lies, I guess, now, in that little thickest swamp 

 of all, jist in the end of the swale atween Round Top and 

 Rocky Hill, right in the pines and laurels; leastways I 

 druv him down there with the dogs, and I swon that he 

 never crossed into the open meadow; and I went round, 

 and made a circle like clean round about him, and darn 

 the dog trailed on him no how ; and bein' as he's hard hot, 

 I guess he'll stay there since he harbored." 



