EOUGH SHOOTING. 97 



most parts of the kingdom. He stays with us 

 a much shorter time than the rest, being rarely 

 found till the end of October; and he is valued 

 accordingly. 



The keeper, some three or four beaters, and 

 a couple of boys, are waiting for us at the cross- 

 roads, attended by a regular pack of more or 

 less nondescript dogs, some of which come well 

 under the definition of mongrel. There is some- 

 thing moving close to the opposite hedge the 

 other side of the field of turnips before us. 

 Pigeons, we make them out to be, and slip over 

 the gate and down along the fence, to get 

 behind them. 



There they are — there must be thirty of 

 them at least — and we are creeping on cautiously, 

 fearing lest they should take alarm, when, in 

 the ploughed land about thirty yards to our right, 

 up jump a covey of partridges just when and 

 where they were least expected. Such a mis- 

 fortune — from a shooter's point of view — happens 

 with disagreeable frequency. If a man has his 

 gun open, his flask out (though the use of flasks 

 is to be deprecated when there is walking to be 

 done), when he is arranging his boot-lace, or 

 otherwise occupied, up the birds usually jump, 

 he having been strictly on the qui vive for the 

 last two hours. 



7 



