168 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



" I can't shoot worth a button to-day, Taylor — very 



trying time in town yesterday Here, don't stand 



grinning hke a fool, but help me stamp some of these 

 confounded cartridge cases into the ground before the 

 rest of the party come up ! " 



The Squire and his henchman were still busily engaged 

 treading the accusing shells into the soggy ground when 

 the funny man of the party appeared on the scene, 

 accompanied by half-a-dozen other tweed-clad sportsmen. 



" Hallo, Squire, practising the turkey-trot I see ! " 

 cried the jokester facetiously, adding : " By-the-bye, 

 you seem to have burned a rare lot of powder, what's 

 the score? " 



Purple with shame and rage at being thus caught, 

 the Squire, doubtless expecting his attendant to reply 

 diplomatically — in other words to lie well — inquired of 

 him the number of birds down. 



" Seventy-five runs for three wickets, sir Beg 



pardon, I meant to say seventy-five cartridges for three 

 pheasants," came the ill-timed, albeit truthful, reply of 

 Taylor, who is by way of being a cricketer. 



" Hence the turkey-trot ! " roared the funny man, as 

 he unearthed a cartridge case with the spike of his 

 shooting-stick. 



Moral : Don't rate your loader on the morning of 

 a big shoot. 



******* 



" The partridges are unusually wild for early September. 

 It would be useless trying to walk the coveys up, we must 

 drive 'em," said the owner of a small shooting in Essex 

 to his guests, just before setting out for a day's partridge 

 shooting. 



