RECREA TION. 



■enabling me to see the little setter, 

 eagerly working her way alone. She 

 enters the bushes, hesitates a moment, 

 moves a few yards further, and stiffens 

 out. One moment of delightful antici- 

 pation and I flush the bird, which darts 

 out with the old familiar whistle, and I 

 drop him just as he tops the bushes. 



Into the game pocket he goes ; the 

 faithful little dog is duly praised, and 

 on we go again. It is hard work, this 

 forcing one's way through the ferns and 

 bushes, and no ordinary wind can get in 

 here to cool us off. At length we reach 

 the other side of the woods, and light- 

 ing our pipes, take a well earned rest on 

 a convenient stump. Nearly two hours 

 hard work, and only two birds — not 

 very promising so far — but at it we go 

 again. 



I strike into a soft swampy piece of 

 ground, and have hard work to get 

 across it, notwithstanding my hip boots. 

 The Colonel is far ahead of me. Soon 



his gun wakes the silent forest once 

 more and the faint " halloo " which 

 follows announces the success of his 

 shot. Working over toward him I get a 

 snap shot at a bird which flushes wild, 

 and miss him clean. He alights not far 

 away, and the dog locates him without 

 difficulty. I get him this time with the 

 first barrel — missing with the second 

 another cock which flushes from behind 

 an adjoining bush. By this time we are 

 nearingthe Colonel, who, marking down 

 the bird, walks him up and shoots him. 

 After an hour's adjournment to the 

 boats for lunch and pipes, we take 

 another turn through the woods, getting 

 a couple more birds ; then, although it 

 is yet early, we remember that there is 

 a six mile beat against the wind and 

 current for one of us, so with many 

 good wishes and promises to meet 

 again, at an early date, each boards his 

 little craft, and our first shoot of the 

 season is as a sweet dream. 



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