SHOOTING 



chance, that we are scarcely surprised to see the turf 

 receive the bulk of the charge a few inches behind 

 the mark. So close a shave was it, however, that we 

 mechanically walk to the spot for the purpose of seeing 

 precisely how far we were out in .our calculation, when, 

 much to our satisfaction, we find the rabbit lying stone 

 dead within a foot or two of the edge of the ride — a 

 few outside pellets have done their work, and the 

 career of that merry ' hunter ' is ended. ' Guns to 

 the right of us, guns to the left of us ' proclaim a con- 

 tinuation of the fray. A sudden yelp, another in a 

 higher key, and then a chorus of spaniels as the entire 

 pack sweep down a ride in full pursuit of a rabbit, 

 and so close behind it that shooting is out of the 

 question. A sudden wrench to the left, the leading 

 dog overshoots the mark, and the second dog with 

 the rabbit in his mouth falls headlong into the furze, 

 the others tumbling head over heels upon them, a 

 brown and white mass of struggling, writhing forms. 

 The rabbit is with difficulty taken from them, and 

 thrown down on the ride where a goodly row is 

 already laid out and marks the progress that has been 

 made. In the parallel ride a similar row is in evidence, 

 amongst them a black one, and also a nice young 

 leveret which someone has mistaken for a sandy 

 rabbit. We are now approaching the end of the first 



