WARWICK WOODLANDS. 171 



you, and carry t' bag whaile four o' t' clock, and then 

 awa back and hitch oop, and draive doon to t' aik tree!" 



"I understand, Tim,'' said his master, laughing; "I 

 understand right well! you want to see the sport." 



"Ayse oophaud it!" grinned Timothy, seeing at once 

 that he should gain his point. 



"Well! well! I don't care about it; will Minthorne let 

 us put up the beasts in his bam, Tom?" 



"Let us! Jet us!" exclaimed the fat man; "by gad I'd 

 like to see Joe Minthorne, or any other of his breed, a 

 tellin' me I shouldn't put my cattle where I pleased; jest 

 let me ketch him at it!" 



"Very well; have it your own way, Tim, take care of 

 the beasts, and overtake us as quick as you can !" and as 

 he spoke, he let down the bars which parted a fine wheat 

 stubble from the road, and entered the field with the 

 dogs at heel. "We must part company to beat these 

 little woods, must we not, Tom?" 



"I guess so — I'll go on with A ; his Grouse and my 



Dash will work well enough, and you and Frank keep 

 down the valley hereaways; ive'll beat that little swamp- 

 hole, and then the open woods to the brook side, and so 

 along the meadows to the big bottom; you keep the hill- 

 side coverts, and look the little pond-holes well on Min- 

 thorne's Ridge, you'll find a cock or two there anyhow; 

 and beat the bushes by the wall; I guess you'll have a 

 bevy jumpin' up; and try, boys, do, to git 'em down the 

 little hill into the boggy bottom, for we can use them, I 

 tell you !" and so they parted. 



Archer and Forester, with Shot and Chase at heel, 

 entered the little thicket indicated, and beat it carefully, 

 but blank: although the dogs worked hard, and seemed 

 as if about to make game more than once. They crossed 

 the road, and came into another little wood, thicker and 

 wetter than the first, with several springy pools, although 

 it wa?i almost upon the summit of the hill. Here Harry 

 took the left or lower hand, bidding Frank keep near the 

 outside at top, and full ten yards ahead of him. 



"And mind, if you hear Tom shoot, or cry 'mark' jump 

 over into the open field, and be all eyes, for that's their 

 line of country into the swamp, where we would have 

 them. Hold up. good dogs, hold up!" 



