My First of September. 75 



made a capital point in a piece of potatoes. I 

 hurried up, and instantly there rose a splendid 

 covey of birds, only a few yards from the dog's 

 nose. The whirring noise they made so close 

 to me unnerved me for the moment, and off 

 went both barrels without touching a feather. 

 I looked rather foolish, as I was anxious to 

 show off before my Londoner. However, Ben 

 marked them all down into a piece of standing 

 beans. Ben told me I had fired too quickly, 

 which I was well aware of; and I don't think I 

 was the first tyro by a good many who has 

 been startled (although expecting them) by the 

 sudden noise and whirr of a covey of partridges. 



"Now," said Ben, "let us take up the setter 

 and put the little terrier," which he was leading 

 by a string, " into the beans ; she can't do 

 much harm, and if you take it steady you will 

 kill every one of them." 



Down we went, and the little bitch had not 

 been in a minute before three birds rose, and 

 I killed a brace, right and left, in good form. 

 I was proceeding to load in a great hurry. 

 "Take it steady," said Ben ; but, for the life of 

 me, take it steady I could not, for the birds 

 kept rising in ones and twos, and by the time 



