A Sportsman at Large 17 



which in those days were none too plentiful at Moat Mount. 

 At last I determined to invoke the aid of Toby in my surrep- 

 titious expeditions. There happened to be an ice house 

 situate hard by the Barton Pond, the thatching of which was 

 honeycombed by a family of rabbits. 



Many a time and oft I had incited Tobias to launch an 

 attack on this stronghold, and on several occasions he had 

 managed to set his teeth on a dilatory coney, 'ere it could 

 hustle to safety. But I now wanted a more personal and 

 intimate hand in the game. 



All being prepared, I took my stand a convenient distance 

 from the point where the quarry was wont to bolt, and then 

 set Toby on the job. Nothing loth, he was soon at work, 

 and presently out came brer rabbit. Up went the iron- 

 monger's masterpiece, and with its deafening report the 

 odoriferous coney turned head over heels in helpless contor- 

 tions. My first rabbit ! 



With a yell of delight I threw down my weapon, rushed to 

 the kicking coney, and seizing him by the hind legs, gave 

 him a clip behind the ear, which promptly " did him in " 

 for good and all. I was chortling with joy and pride, when, 

 chancing to look round, I espied no less a personage than 

 The Dads himself standing by the ice-house, with my cherished 

 weapon in his hands. He was examining it carefully, and 

 as he did so an expression of withering contempt crossed his 

 usually amiable features. 



" Well, you owdacious young scamp, what have you been 

 up to now ? What d'you call this thing ? " 



" Ah, isn't it a beauty, Dads ? Something like a gun, 

 eh?" 



'Yes" doubtfully "something like a gun ; but what 

 is it ? That's what / want to know ? " 



I was left guessing again. 



" I don't know how you became possessed of the wretched 

 thing," my parent went on ; " but it's just God's mercy you 

 are alive. How it happens that it did not burst and blow 

 you to atoms goodness only knows ! Not another shot do 

 you fire out of it understand that ? " 



"Oh, Dads! Please, Dads!" I whimpered. "It's a 



