A Sportsman at Large 79 



well grounded, for after a couple of futile attempts, I again 

 found myself hung up in the aggressive foliage, and again I 

 essayed to get clear. This time my cast came away almost 

 at once, and with it the one I had lost the previous evening. 

 My green drake had affixed itself to the gut loop of my lost 

 cast, and had safely drawn to hand the whole of it, with 

 fly intact ! What do you think of that as a specimen million 

 to one proposition ? In this case the chance was more remote 

 than that previously dealt with, for obvious reasons, and 

 especially when taking into account the reconstruction of 

 the fish story, as visualized by my friend. 



But I have wandered far from the wilds of the beautiful 

 and picturesque Devonshire moorland, so let us hie back. 



There were times when the spirit moved me to set out 

 alone (save for the companionship of the redoubtable Cockie 

 Junior), in search of adventure with the gun. On such 

 occasions my enterprise often was rewarded with a plethoric 

 and mixed bag. 



Come along with me in spirit of sportsmanship and see 

 how I fared on one particular expedition a day which is 

 clearly and proudly indicated in the calendar of my memory, 

 though over forty years have elapsed since its enjoyment. 



Starting from Cator early in the morning, I straightway 

 made for the snipe-producing springlet in the water meadow. 

 Sure enough my call was answered by a flick of wing and the 

 familiar " scape, scape,'' as a " long-bill " darted off at 

 lightning speed. I missed with my first, but my second 

 caught him on the turn a clean and clever kill. 



I knew of a covey of nine partridges which frequented one 

 of the few arable fields (roots) attached to the holding. This 

 little enclosure w r as bounded by a high stone supported bank, 

 with a thick growth of briar and fern on top, but on the far 

 side of this there was a break or opening about three feet wide. 



Almost as soon as I had set foot in the mangolds the birds 

 were flushed. I dropped one with my right, then as the 

 rest crowded together to pass through the aperture in the 

 hedge I " browned " them with my left barrel ! 



" Shame ! " you will cry. 



Well, I have already admitted that, in those youthful 



