WARWICK WOODLANDS. 173 



he-here good dogs," cried Harry, striding away through 

 the brush like a good one. 



In a moment he stood by Frank, who was just pocket- 

 ing his first, a fine hen grouse. 



"The other was the cock," said Frank, "and a very 

 large one, too; he was a long shot, but he's very hard hit; 

 he flew against this tree before he fell, and bounded off 

 it here; look at the feathers!" 



"Aye! we'll have him in a moment; seek dead, Shot; 

 seek, good dogs; ha! now they wind him; there! Chase has 

 him — no ! he draws again — now Shot is standing ; hold up, 

 hold up, lads, he's running like the mischief, and won't 

 stop till he reaches some thick covert." 



Bang! bang! "Mark — ma-ark!" bang! bang! "mark, 

 Harry Archer, mark," came down the wind in quick suc- 

 cession from the other party, who were beating some thick 

 briers by the brook side, at three or four fields' distance. 



"Quick, Forester, quick!" shouted Archer; "over the 

 wall, lad, and mark them! those are quail; I'm man 

 enough to get this fellow by myself. Steady, lads! 

 steady-y-!" as they were roading on at the top of their 

 pace. "Toho! toho-o-o, Chase; fie, for shame — don't you 

 see, sir, Shot's got him dead there under his very nose in 

 those cat-briers. Ha! dead! good lads — good lads; dead! 

 dead! fetch him, good dog; by George but he is a fine bird. 

 I've got him, Forester; have you marked down the quail?" 



"Ay! av! in the bog bottom!" 



"How many?" 



"Twenty-three!" 



"Then we'll have sport, by Jove!" and, as he spoke, 

 they entered a wide rushy pasture, across which, at some 



two or three hundred yards, A and fat Tom were 



seen advancing toward them. They had not made three 

 steps before both dogs stood stiff as stones in the short 

 grass, where there was not a particle of covert. 



"Why, what the deuce is this, Harry?" 



"Devil a know know I," responded he; "but step up to 

 the red dog, Frank — I'll go to the other — they've got 

 game, and no mistake!" 



"Skeap — ske-eap!" up sprang a couple of English snipe 

 before Shot's nose, and Harry cut them down, a splendid 

 double shot, before they had flown twenty yards, just as 



