.28 



EAMBLES AFTER SrORT. 



Well^ one morning I was strolling through the stable, 

 when who should come up and ask me to go out for a 

 walk but my spaniel Tim. Now I am not going to ask my 

 readers to believe that Tim really spoke in words ; he 

 does not quite do that yet, though I have hopes of him. 

 No ; he merely rubbed his nose against my leg, uttered 

 a short bark, and then sat down and looked at me. He 

 said as plain as words could, " Come out for a ramble, 

 and ril see if I can find that sheldrake for you.'' Just 

 then Fan came sidling up, and went through the same 

 performance. " Well, I may as well see if I can't get 

 that sheldrake to-day as any other," I soliloquise ; so I 

 call out, " Thompson, bring me my gun and fifteen or 

 twenty cartridges, and my thick boots, I'll put them on 

 here on the steps ; fill my flask with sherry, and tell 

 your mistress I shan't be at home for lunch." I start 

 down the drive with the two dogs barking and smelling 

 at the box by the roadside; now " bunny" jumps up and 

 scampers away unharmed, pursued by Fan, and now a 

 flock of starlings fl}^ hurriedly up on an elm tree, and 

 look down with curious sidelong eye on Tim as he barks 

 at them from below — rabbit, starlings. Fan, and Tim 

 •evidently looking on the whole thing as an excellent 

 piece of romp. I feel inclined to romp too, and take a 

 four-foot style in my path ^' flying," gun and all. It 

 was indeed one of those glorious mornings when one 

 feels generous to everybody, and wishes that everyone 

 could be out shooting as well. I had a letter from that 

 confounded cousin Jack last night asking for 50L (a 

 mere temporary loan, old fellow, you know), and the 

 way I anathematised him was dreadful; yet somehow 

 this morning I think. Well, after all. Jack is not a bad 

 sort of fellow, and really I shouldn't be surprised if it 



