WEST OF THE ADUR 



that his birds would be enough, had just bought five 

 hundred more and put them in his woods. They 

 were thicker on the ground than fowls on a poultry- 

 farm, and tamer than fowls. 



Naturally, after catching sight of these miraculous 

 magpies, I thought no more about unhappy Otway, 



Magpies 



but gave all my attention to them, and counted them 

 at least fifteen times over to make sure that they were 

 fifteen. Not many yards from them, near the low 

 hedge, a number of pheasants were sunning them- 

 selves ; and by the side of the flock of magpies a covey 

 of nine or ten partridges were slowly and quietly 



