My First Woodcock. 109 



greyhounds together! But it was explained to 

 me that, as we had to go over the mountain to 

 get to our ground, we might very likely get a 

 course or two on our road, and that the grey- 

 hounds might then come back with the boy 

 and ponies. We then consented, and away we 

 started for Cwm Dwr. 



On our road we had three courses, the httle 

 dark Welsh horses going up-hill like the wind. 

 However, the dogs were good, and we suc- 

 ceeded in killing a brace, which we sent back 

 by the boy, and ordered one to be cooked for 

 dinner. We then set to work after the cock, 

 Lewis diving into every hole and corner, and 

 poking away with a short thick stick he always 

 carried, and with his cheery cry of Hi cock, 

 cock, cock, or, as he pronounced it, co. We 

 wefe beating a thick piece of fir plantation, when 

 all at once the little Frenchman gave tongue. 



I heard a flap of a wing (how well-known to 

 me now is that never-to-be-mistaken peculiar 

 flap which a woodcock .always makes on rising 

 from the ground). Lewis sung out, "Mark 

 cock." I saw something brown through the fir- 

 trees and instantly let drive, when down it came. 



"Well done! "said Lewis, " a regular cock 



