A Sportsman at Large 199 



and immediately hurried to the loft. Alas ! my fears were only 

 too well founded. 



A dreadful sight met my eyes when I opened the door. 

 The whole place was a shambles blood, bones, intestines and 

 feathers covered the floor ; whilst the cage that had held my 

 pets lay on one side, all bent, misshapen and properly " busted." 

 And there was the murderer crouched in the corner, deep 

 dyed with the evidence of his crime : red of eyes and slavering 

 of lips, from which depended particles of crimson-besmirched 

 plumage ! 



Marcus, who had been following close behind, now joined 

 me. 



" Look at that now ! " he exclaimed. ' There's a little 

 devil for you ! What are you going to do with him, Cockie ? " 



" I can't think of anything bad enough," I replied. 



A brain-wave struck me. 



" I have it : we'll put him in the cage, tie a rope to it, and 

 roll it down the slope into the river. Then when the little 

 brute has had a good ducking, we will pull him out. If that 

 does not cure him of his murderous ways, I don't know 

 what will ! " 



No sooner thought of than done. 



Billy cringed and dragged himself along the floor of the 

 loft on his " tummy," with deprecating squirms; but I was 

 adamant, and Marcus soon had him incarcerated. 



" Better not let her know," he said, inclining his head towards 

 the hits ! 



Marcus held his fair sister in wholesome respect. 



Well, we carried out the edict thoroughly and sufficiently. 

 By the time we had finished with him, it was a very subdued 

 and shivering little terrier that followed us home with his 

 stump of a tail well tucked between his thighs. 



Even so, my wrath had not entirely evaporated. I 

 reported the crime to my C.O., and told her that I was deter- 

 mined to put her favourite in Coventry for at least a week. 



With all his faults, Billy loved me as I think dogs only 

 can love ! He knew he had offended me grievously, and when 

 he found that I made no sort of response to his affectionate 

 overtures, and that I simply ignored him, he took it sorely 



