ON A PARTRIDGE BEAT 13 



been that it had left the rabbit, and gone, as proved 

 to be the case, in pursuit of another. Leaving my 

 brand-new keeper's coat where I had thrown it 

 down before beginning to dig, I nipped up to the 

 spot where my gun was, from which I could com- 

 mand all exits from the dell. Scarcely had I 

 reached it, when out dashed an old buck, and tore 

 round the side of the dell like the wind. Bang ! 

 and he turned a masterly somersault. On going 

 to pick up that rabbit and my coat I found that 

 about a hundred pellets had provided ventilation for 

 my left arm. When I got home everyone, seeing 

 the state of my sleeve, wasted sympathy on my poor 

 arm. I thanked them, and said I felt very thankful 

 that it was not my right arm. This reminds me 

 that not long afterwards I punctured one of my 

 bicycle tyres in a rather original way. I had left the 

 machine leaning against the outside of the wood 

 while I went round to try and get a shot at a rabbit. 

 I came up a track which went through the covert, 

 looked cautiously outside, made sure I saw a rabbit, 

 and fired. When I went to pick it up, I not only 

 discovered no rabbit, but that I had to walk the 

 three miles home, pushing my bicycle. 



But to return to the rabbits in the dells : By 

 means of bunnies of all sizes and conditions, I was 

 able to provide the farm-hands with several rounds 

 of rabbit c pudd'n,' and thus got a useful start on 

 the road to their hearts. The head-carter was so 



