JOYS AND SORROWS 297 



have. And, luckily for my peace of mind, by the 

 next morning I was too ' rough ' to think of partridge 

 driving or anything else. I discovered in a rather 

 curious way that I was in the grip of jaundice. For 

 some days I had felt a little bit out of tune internally. 

 I went some miles to fetch a setty pheasant's nest, 

 and, having tightened my belt, placed the eggs 

 inside my shirt next the skin of my lower bosom, so 

 to speak. I had a very miserable walk home, for 

 the slight pressure of the eggs increased the discord 

 within me. However, I was not going to risk 

 chilling the eggs. I reached home, put the eggs 

 safely beneath a hen and very soon collapsed. I 

 do not want to have jaundice again, if only for the 

 fact that it entails an exclusive diet of milk and soda. 

 I had about twenty-five hens sitting on the first 

 batch of pheasant eggs. Fortunately, I was able 

 to get an old keeper to come and lift them on and 

 off to feed ; and before they hatched I had got up 

 steam again. Another spring I had a dose of 

 mumps, when I was over thirty. I do not want 

 any more. I had a cold about twice in three years, 

 and always a chest circumference four inches greater 

 than that of my waist. I hope it may be so always. 

 During the last few years I seldom was entirely free 

 from sciatica and lumbago, which occasionally would 

 have a field-day at my expense. Since the day I 

 left game-keeping I have not had so much as a growl 

 from either. 



