7Q Simpson's snipe 



an' elephants an' combusticles, but, be me song, it 

 Inks very like it. I'd like for to see him shootin', 

 that wud putt an ind to the question." 



At this moment, bang ! bang ! went the two 

 barrels of my guest's gun. Billy and I ran to the 

 hedge, and peeping through, perceived Simpson run- 

 ning very fast towards a clump of furze, shouting 

 and gesticulating violently. I jumped across the 

 fence, and was rapidly approaching him, when he 

 waved me back. 



" Stop ! don't come near me ! I'm into them. 

 There are quantities of snipe here." 



" Arrah, what is he talkin' about at all at all ? " 

 panted Billy. '' Snipes ! Cock him up wud snipes ! 

 There ain't a snipe " 



Here Simpson, who had been groping amongst 

 the furze, held up to our astonished gaze two brace 

 of snipe, 



Billy Doyle seemed completely dumbfounded. 

 " That bangs anything I ever heerd tell of. Man 

 nor boy ever seen a snipe in that field afore. 

 Begorra, he's handy enough wud the gun, after all." 



I was very much pleased to find that our excur- 

 sion had borne fruit, and that my vaunted preserves 

 were not utterly barren. 



" That's a good beginning, Simpson," I cried. 

 " Go ahead ; you'll get plenty of birds by-and-by." 



