“ He’s got ’em — come up ! ” — Page 531. 
And to this day we still arise at an un- 
earthly hour, like children on Christmas. 
This, of course, is quite unnecessary, un- 
less we are going out on the bay after 
ducks, for quail are hard to find in the 
early hours, before they leave the woods 
to forage, and we are sure to get soak- 
ing wet in the long grass at dewy dawn 
and to be tired out before sunset in any 
case. 
But, oh, the fun of those early morning 
starts! The hurried dressing by candle- 
light; the dark, stark silence of the sen- 
530 
tient old house; the startling creak of the 
stairs, the surprising unconcern of the pre- 
occupied clock in the hall, ticking loudly, 
tocking deliberately. And then the daz- 
zling light and the welcome roar of the 
crackling fire in the dining-room; the even 
more welcome smell of the coffee bubbling 
on the old black crane; the hurried break- 
fast devoured with boy-like talk and 
laughter. And finally, lighting a pipe, 
“sweetest at dawn,” and taking up our 
glistening guns, we carefully tiptoe out of 
the side door — having by this time, to be 
