SANDPIPERS AND THE SANDERLING 49 



It was certainly "a most dead-and-alive look-out," 

 as some of them were wont to remark ; but some 

 folks at least were stirring. For three fowlers 

 stepped out from the Royal George Inn, with their 

 long duck-guns under their arms ; the locks, as 

 usual, bound round with the leg of an old worsted 

 stocking. Just as the three were tramping off, the 

 jovial landlord remarked — 



" Surely you ain't a'goin' without Splashey, be ye, 

 Craft ? " 



"Well, me an' Baulk an' Josher reckins to, fur 

 the last time as we had him out, the jealous-headed 

 old fool druv a marble down his six-footer an' busted 

 her ; his nose ain't got quite right yet." 



" Well, cum back, an' hev jist a tot of my most 

 pertickler ager-medicine at my expense. Don't go 

 an' leave Splashey out on it. It was only yesterday, 

 when he scooted over for his mornin' half-pint o' 

 porter, as he said he reckoned he'd slip down 

 Chitney Ma'sh way, an' wipe sum o' yer eyes 'bout 

 them ox-birds. He's makin' a pair o' boots fur me : 

 jist hark at him hammerin' at they soles on his 

 lap-stone. I ain't in no hurry for 'em. One on ye 

 go over an' tell him so. Git him rigged up, his 

 new gun an' all, and then bring him over here an' 

 I'll give him a good lot of this most pertickler. He 

 was most mighty high in the shootin' line yesterday." 



In a very short time Splashey made his appearance 

 fully equipped for the Ox-birds, and as he smacked 

 his lips over the ager-medicine he said " he reckined 

 as he'd do somethin' afore he got home." When they 



