70 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
tage, as you leave in a day or two. I thought at first we 
might try our luck with the birds together, but, on con- 
sidering the matter, I find that one of us will be deprived 
of a portion of the pleasure, for both cannot work at the 
same time, as somebody must hold the team while the 
other shoots. Now this would be demanding too much 
from our patience, so I have decided to send over for my 
old friend Captain Blank, and ask him to join us for the 
day. If he comes—and I know he will if he is not too 
busy—I will take him as a partner, and we will try our 
skill against you and Lucy fora pair of gloves all round. 
We will have a team each, and as the dogs will follow 
Lucy and obey her, you are to have two and we'll take 
the other two. You may have your choice of the point- 
ers or setters.” 
The plan being most pleasing to me, I accepted it in 
the promptest manner. Lucy’s assent having also been 
received, an invitation to join us was dispatched by a 
mounted vaguero, or herder, to the Captain, and he re- 
turned, in the course of an hour, bearing an affirmative 
response. The preliminaries were then arranged, and it 
was decided that I should have the basket phaeton and 
pony belonging to Lucy, and the use of the pointers, 
while they were to have the double team and the setters. 
The parties were to separate after the first shot, each 
work its own ground, and reunite about noon ata certain 
point, to compare notes and partake of lunch. We were 
awake at an early hour the next morning, but we had 
scarcely descended to the breakfast-room before the Cap- 
tain arrived on horseback, and being ushered in to the 
rendezvous, I was introduced. When that brief cere- 
mony was over, we settled down to a discussion of ham 
and eggs, fragrant coffee, French rolls, and the sweetest 
of butter. While the matutinal meal was being disposed 
of, the event of the day became a matter of earnest dis- 
cussion, and small wagers were joyously laid on the suc- 
