138 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



embellished with a large illustrated advertisement about cocoa, 

 I think. It was the picture of a barrister in wig and gown 

 drinking from a cup, and entitled "A Refresher." I told my 

 companion of it afterwards while we were warming ourselves and 

 drying near the fire, and now we long for a refresher in the 

 shape of a bird when master gets tired, and regardless of our 

 feelings stumbles about and against every mound and stone. 

 In spite of our little troubles, we have always been fond of our 

 owner ; have, I say until now, when, worn out in his service, 

 we can stand no longer straight, when our nails have dropped 

 out and our heels are worn down, he has thrown us aside to be 

 worked to rags, day after day, and smeared with some foul 

 compound, the very nature of which is revolting. He used to 

 take such pride in us. Many a time has he praised us, looked 

 at us with pleasure, and we have been photographed with him 

 on several occasions. We suited him admirably, and never hurt 

 him if we could help it. Dangers we have shared many, some 

 terrible ones, and many a time have we jumped with fear, 

 particularly when many rabbits were about, and a neighbour's 

 gun pointed directly at us, instead of at the wretched, frightened 

 animal which came so near us. Master generally wore white 

 gaiters, to show his neighbours where we were, which 

 gaiters, though often our safeguard, we, however, greatly dis- 

 liked, for they shut out our view, and sometimes even pinched 

 us. We always had a spite against them, so one day when they 

 got peppered by a sweeping shot up a ride down which we were 

 slowly walking, and we escaped, we danced for joy, but master 

 apparently took their part, for he shouted aloud and used very 

 bad language only audible to us, however. Never shall we 

 forget the fright we got one morning, for our very lives were 

 in imminent peril. We had been shooting partridges when an 

 old gentleman, whom we afterwards heard called a long-winded 

 bore, singled out our master to tell him a story which appa- 

 rently had to be told at close quarters. The others of the party 

 stood around. The old gentleman had his gun under his arm, 

 the muzzles only a yard from and pointed straight at us, when 

 to our horror we saw that the fearful things were at full cock. 

 A cold shiver ran through us and we edged away ; but the man, 

 now thoroughly engrossed with his story, could only tell it 

 when directly facing master. Those horrid muzzles again 



