7 A Sportsman at Large 



He said it " would stretch our legs " after our long train 

 journey ; but I was not keen on " having my leg pulled/' 

 either metaphorically or actually, therefore I concealed myself 

 in the transport wagon with Cockie, but was discovered and 

 incontinently thrown out ; so we had to make the best of it, 

 and " pad the hoof." 



Our temporary residence was to be Lower Cator, one of the 

 farms of which The Dads was now landlord. At this length 

 of time the name of the worthy tenant has escaped me ; but 

 he was a typical son of the Devonshire soil, whose uncom- 

 promising dialect afforded me a grand opportunity for my 

 favourite study of variegated vernaculars. 



I flatter myself that I have been ever apt at picking up the 

 lingo of any places that I have visited within the United 

 Kingdom or over seas. 



Our prospects of sport if not brilliant as regards quality 

 and quantity of fur, feather and fin to be had was of a 

 pleasantly varied description. Hares and rabbits, snipe, cock, 

 occasional mallard, black game (rare) , plover, green and golden, 

 pigeons, partridges and " various," whilst the Dart and its 

 tributaries were full of trout of a sort ; somewhat diminutive 

 it is true about eight to the pound was the average though 

 occasionally a " monster " of fourteen ounces or so would 

 grace the creel. 



Salmon had been known to ascend to these upper reaches. 

 It was my misfortune to come across a vagrant specimen ; 

 and thereby hangs a disgraceful tale. It was late in Novem- 

 ber when Harry Edwards, who had spent many years on 

 military service in India, and had there proved himself a 

 pukka shikari, and I, set out in pursuit of the elusive snipe. 

 We picked up a couple of brace on Ridden Mire, and then made 

 to cross The Dart, with a view to exploiting Bellivor Tor, 

 there to contrive the circumvention of a bunch of golden 

 plover which was known to favour the locality. Skipping 

 from stone to stone I happened to glance down at a runlet, 

 when my eye caught the shadowy form of a great fish that 

 was lying quiescent therein. It was submerged in the clear 

 water about a couple of feet. 



Immediately I called my gallant brother-in-law's attention 



