ON A PARTRIDGE BEAT 13 
been that it had left the rabbit, and gone, as proved 
to be the case, in pursuit of another. Leaving my 
brand-new keeper’s coat where I had thrown it 
down before beginning to dig, I nipped up to the 
spot where my gun was, from which I could com- 
mand all exits from the dell. Scarcely had I 
reached it, when out dashed an old buck, and tore 
round the side of the dell like the wind. Bang! 
and he turned a masterly somersault. On going 
to pick up that rabbit—and my coat—I found that 
about a hundred pellets had provided ventilation for 
my left arm. When I got home everyone, seeing 
the state of my sleeve, wasted sympathy on my foor 
arm. I thanked them, and said I felt very thankful 
that it was not my right arm. This reminds me 
that not long afterwards I punctured one of my 
bicycle tyres in a rather original way. I had left the 
machine leaning against the outside of the wood 
while I went round to try and get a shot at a rabbit. 
I came up a track which went through the covert, 
looked cautiously outside, made sure I saw a rabbit, 
and fired. When I went to pick it up, I not only 
discovered no rabbit, but that I had to walk the 
three miles home, pushing my bicycle. 
But to return to the rabbits in the dells: By 
means of bunnies of all sizes and conditions, I was 
able to provide the farm-hands with several rounds 
of rabbit ‘ pudd’n,’ and thus got a useful start on 
the road to their hearts. The head-carter was so 
