288 ON SURREY HILLS. 



But consider — if you are able to kill a creature quickly, 

 before it knows what has happened to it, why com- 

 plain of the method employed? * Sudden death from 

 the kick of a large boot is, to my mind, far preferable 

 to choking from a wire, or suffering from a bad shot. 

 So quickly and surely could those great fellows use 

 their feet, that the result was never doubtful. Hence 

 the title of " Leather-gun Brigade," to give it in full. 

 Pantile, Romper, Waggle — who could clear a fence 

 or hedge like a deer — and the Lady Cabin-boy, so 

 called because he had a budget of sentimental, old- 

 world songs at his command, were the nicknames by 

 which some of its members were known. 



To return to our birds. Crows, magpies, and jays 

 are very busy and very quiet in hard winter weather, 

 also very shy. When the weather permits, shooting 

 is sure to be going on. Those who shoot are not all 

 crack shots, and all wounded creatures seek shelter 

 at once. If they have reached it safely, directly the 

 coast is clear, their cunning feathered enemies are on 



^ In spite of what our author says here, one's instinct goes against 

 doing a creature to death in this way. The medium of a gun or other 

 instrument seems to take from the idea of slaughter, and the natuiTil 

 repugnance to taking life. — ^J. A. O. 



