AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS 41 



a donkey and panniers on the brow of the hill in 

 front of us. We beat up to him, bagging a hare 

 and a single bird on our way, and during the half- 

 hour that is allowed us for our bread and cheese 

 and one glass of sherry, we enjoy to our heart's con- 

 tent the large delights of loosing our tongues, after 

 several hours' rigid silence. But " time is up," and 

 we are again on the move till six ; we are tired, 

 but we don't know it ; we are hungry and thirsty, 

 but we feel not their pangs, till, with our five-and- 

 twenty brace behind us in the bags, w^e strike across 

 the park on our homeward journey. Uncle Sam's 

 gun is yielded up to Master Tom to let off the 

 charge with the shot drawn ; but he manages 

 surreptitiously to obtain our shot-flask, and joins 

 us on the hall steps with a dead rabbit, somewhat 

 mauled, however, from the young rascal's having 

 fired at it at ten paces. We sit down to dinner in 

 high good-humour : — who is not, after a good day ? 

 We defend our sport before the ladies from the 

 charge of cruelty, and retire to roost so tired that 

 we take the precaution to lock our door, to prevent 

 the too early and too sure incursion of the young 

 Visigoths in the morning. Alas ! for the days that 

 are no more. Seven or eight years have passed 

 since that pleasant day, and Downcharge Hall again 

 welcomes Uncle Sam on the evening of the 31st, 



