40 PARTRIDGE DAY 



and his two brothers bursting with excitement, talk- 

 ing in hurried and ceaseless whispers behind the 

 back of Uncle Sam, bearing no distant resemblance, 

 as far as their half-checked ardour is concerned, to 

 the brace of pointers behind the keeper. But there 

 is no time for indulging in reverie as to the scene ; 

 a low " Hold up, then ! " is heard from the head- 

 keeper, the two graceful dogs bound forward, the 

 line advances, and the action has commenced. A 

 rabbit starts from under Jack's feet : Bang ! — and 

 the shot enters a turnip, a yard behind the little 

 white stern hopping and popping to his burrow, 

 despite the reiterated assurances of Master Jack 

 that he is hit, and who forgets to reload accordingly. 

 " Hold up ! " to the crouching pointers, and away 

 we move again, watching the graceful movements 

 of the dogs as they work the field before us. Eake, 

 a young dog in his first season, is breaking a little 

 too much ahead ; but ere the keeper's " Gently, 

 boy ! " had reached him, he has suddenly pulled up, 

 and, with tail stiff and leg up, is standing, motion- 

 less as a statue, over a covey. We advance, in the 

 highest excitement : — whirr ! goes bird after bird 

 almost singly ; and our first covey of the season 

 leaves two brace and a half on the field. One 

 o'clock comes ; we have steadily beaten turnips and 

 stubble, clover and mustard, and we spy a man with 



