158 How I Became a Sportsmax. 



I only recollect having the chance once, when 

 a couple got up under my feet. I was mooning 

 about something at the time, and was so 

 utterly flabbergasted that I only collected my- 

 self in time to get a shot at one, which I 

 missed. 



After being laid up for a fortnight it takes 

 one some days to get your wind. It would 

 not suit every man's taste to be entirely by 

 himself in such quarters as the place I have 

 attempted to describe. It is true at times 

 it was rather solitary, as I had only one old 

 woman-servant in the house, and I was 

 obliged to content myself with the com- 

 panionship of my two dogs ; but it suited 

 my taste exactly. The wind also at night 

 would have driven any one disposed to the 

 blues to fancy it was rather melancholy, as 

 when they, having gathered strength in travel- 

 ling across the vast extent of moor, where 

 there were no trees to break their fury, came 

 down in all their strength, the house would 

 shake to that extent that it seemed a miracle 

 it was not blown out of the ground. The 

 rattling of the doors and windows would be 

 quite a finisher to a nervous person. But 



