KOUGH SHOOTING. 99 



our intention to shoot many more, so we have 

 placed no stops at the end of the covert, and 

 the consequence is that most of the birds run 

 through the undergrowth, refusing altogether 

 to rise. 



We get a majestic old bird, however, which 

 rises with a loud cry of indignation and fright, 

 and then a cry of "Hare forward," followed 

 quickly by " Eabbit to the right — two of them ! " 

 directs attention to the groimd. The bushes 

 seem to move, but we can make out nothing, 

 and are just in the act of jumping a small ditch 

 when, as ill luck will have it, up springs a 

 woodcock, and goes bobbing along straight down 

 the ride in front. The effort to get our gun up 

 causes us to slip on the miry, holding ground, 

 and the further effort to recover our balance 

 completes the misfortune. We come down 

 sitting in the morass, while the cock gently 

 pursues his journey. The incident, ludicrous 

 enough to recall, is extremely annoying to ex- 

 perience, for the cock presented an exceptionally 

 easy shot, and another pheasant is but slight 

 consolation. 



We are now at some patches of furze, how- 

 ever, which are certain to hold rabbits, and the 

 dogs dart eagerly in, the beaters doing their 

 share energetically. "There's one, sir! There 



