ON A PARTRIDGE BEAT 15 



of life, and his manner implied that he was quite 

 cunning enough for his years. In his youth, he 

 said, he had been in the army, and that beneath 

 the back of his trousers was evidence of a sabre- 

 slash, while it was another wound, he vowed, that 

 caused him to speak as if he had a perpetual 

 stomach-ache. His gun certainly appeared to have 

 been made about the time of the Crimean War. 

 The one barrel of the weapon was bound with 

 string, though, he assured me, * she was as safe as a 

 church, and shot turr'ble 'ard if you didn't 'urry 'er.' 

 On condition that he drew the charge and reloaded 

 her in my presence, I one evening volunteered to 

 try to shoot the old chap a rabbit not, as he 

 explained, that he was over-fond of rabbits, but 

 merely that he * didn't mind the hind leg of one 

 now an' t'an for a change/ I had an easy crossing 

 shot at about five-and-twenty yards, and, by simply 

 hauling at the trigger, got ' her ' off within five 

 minutes of the rabbit's disappearance into shelter. 

 Then I realized what a feat it must have been to 

 kill seven * set-up ' rabbits in succession ! But there 

 is no telling what application will not accomplish. 

 Thus it came to pass that I actually succeeded in 

 killing a flying wood-pigeon with the old fellow's 

 gun. It is only fair to myself to say that the 

 calculations involved were elaborate and big, the 

 chief of which was to begin hauling at the trigger with 

 as many fingers as the guard would admit so soon 



