ON A PARTRIDGE BEAT IL 
lodged a petition that I would not fail to test the 
resources of his cellar whenever I felt inclined. 
Unfortunately, he stocked only beer, milk, and 
spirits, liquids I love not; so that, though I was 
often thirsty, I had to forgo what was a pleasure 
to him to give. I could not convince him that it 
was possible for tastes to differ. He regarded it as 
a solemn rite to drink with a guest, and he never 
failed to say, ‘’Ere’s luck! 
A man of very uncertain temper, he was much 
given to sudden sackings of his men, though he 
never allowed the sun to go down upon his wrath. 
The sacked one would come, as bidden, to the farm- 
house, and say that he wanted to see the ‘ ma-aster,’ 
who would appear, looking very much surprised to 
see the man, and ask: 
‘Well, So-and-so, what do you want ?” 
‘ Please, I be come for my money—the same as you 
told I,’ the man would answer, in an injured tone. 
‘Then in the marnin’ you'd better take and start 
scarifyin’ they vallers in Pink’s Carner wi’ old Vilet 
and Jew'l” (Aszde: ‘ Draw ’Enry a drop o’ beer.’) 
Good-night, ’Enry.’ 
These are a fair sample of the words in which 
he would complete a sacking. 
This ’Enry was the head-carter, and he had been 
sacked and reinstated times without number. He 
boasted that he could rely on having a ‘smartish 
set-to’ during the sowing of corn, haymaking, and 
