JOE SWILLER PUMPED. 
43 
witli questions and drink, and seemed never tired of listen- 
ing to his descriptions of the haunts of the furred and 
feathered game thereabout. They had, they said, at the 
invitation of the noble owner of the manor, come down for 
a few days' shooting, and as he seemed to know the ground 
so well, would be glad to take him for their guide, as they 
did not wish to trouble his lordship's keepers, and to pay 
him handsomely for his trouble : they would also stop at 
his house during the time of their sojourn in the neighbour- 
hood. ' They might go to the hall if they choose, but pre- 
ferred to be quite unfettered in their movements.' 
Here was good fortune for Joe : such capital fellows — so 
free, and so liberal — in promises. After tea, at which Mrs. 
Swiller presided, and was taken for one of the grown-up 
daughters, and, like them, chucked under the chin, and 
called ^ My dear ' by these familiar guests, they expressed a 
desire to look about them a little, and Joe was asked to 
commence the performance of his duties of cicerone, pre- 
paratory to the shooting campaign which was to open on 
the morrow. So Joe took them along by Sandy Bottom, 
and through the Hazel Copse, and across Stony Eidge, to 
the Ferny Hollow, where was the rabbit warren, closely 
bordering upon the clover and stubble fields, and the waste 
lands covered with tall flowering grasses and furze bushes, 
and where you could hardly step without putting up a 
covey of Partridges. Joe's visitors were especially interested 
in this piece of ground, which they examined very care- 
fully, and ascertained how it could be best reached in a trap, 
as they would like to commence there in the morning, and 
wished to come fresh upon the ground. All this time their 
dog followed closely at their heels, looking as if he did not 
know a partridge from a pump ; but a close observer of 
canine physiognomy might have noticed that he cast at 
every step furtive glances around, and seemed to be mea- 
suring the ground as he went. 
Fully satisfied, as it seemed, with the result of their 
stroll, the party returned to the inn, had more cigars and 
grog, got Joe into a glorious state of intoxication, and were 
just about to retire to rest, when Lord Harry discovered 
that he had lost his gold repeater : he recollected having it 
