12 How I Became a Sportsman. 



of one of their staves I was in my glory. 

 ^'Our Sarah Ann" I made use of by getting 

 her to cook my game (as I could not take it 

 home, it had before fallen to the lot of Ben) 

 for me. It is true they presented, when served 

 up, rather a spread-eagley appearance, the legs 

 and wings standing out wide from the body 

 in a manner which would have horrified a 

 cook ; but what did it matter ? I thought 

 them perfection. 



On one occasion I made the whole family 

 a present of a rabbit which we had somehow 

 knocked over. Being in the summer-time, 

 perhaps the rabbit could not have been con- 

 sidered exactly a piece de resistance by more 

 fastidious people ; besides, it had rather a 

 ragged, lanky appearance, and gave other indi- 

 cations of having recently brought up a young 

 family. However, it was the first rabbit I had 

 killed, and it was appreciated accordingly, no 

 doubt. 



To "Willum" I am afraid I was the most 

 troublesome ; but he never seemed to mind it. 

 I was constantly in his w^ork-shop (he was a 

 lock and gunsmith), which shop was filled 

 to overflowing with, to my sporting tastes, 



