The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-03 00:00:00

A BIT OF SHOOTING.

(From Trilkeis Spirit of the Times)
" All the sports of the field are delightful, I own,
But none can with shooting compare ;
'Tis a joy that entices the king from his throne,
'Tis a joy that the wisest may share.
The voice of the hound on the breeze of the morn,
The note of the bugle may please ;
The song of the wild bird is sweet from the thorn,
But the gun has more music than these."

" My dour fellow!" exclaimed our ever-jovial friend,
Fred. P., as he entered our office one fine October morn-
ing, and saluted us with a stinging spank on the back that
drove our pen quarter of an inch into the desk, spoiled a
nearly finished apologetic letter to our principal creditor,
and " obfusticatod" us generally. You certainly must be
fully aware that

It is brilliant autumn time, the most br:lliant time
of all,
When the gorgeous woods are gleaming ero the leaves
Login to fall ;'
and that, at this season of the yoar, a true sportsman ought
to seize upon every opportunity that offers to free himself
from

‘Fumum et apes strepitumque ItJrnae,'

and engage in his favourite pursuit; therefore, as I have
just received a letter from our good friend, Laurain C.
mating that game of various kinds is quite abundant in his
vicinity, it is but reasonable to suppose that you will at
once got together your shooting apparatus, and take with
me this afternoon's trai❑ for S., where, if we meet with no
great sport, we can enjoy at least two pleasant evenings at
the snug little tavern of our genial and respected Uucls
Joe.' "

Now, all this was very fine, but it was likewis 3 very
sudden, and we said so; but Fred., who knows cur
" weakness for guns and gunning," and whose p )wers of
persuasion are most'potent, assured us that he had deter-
mined not only to go himself, but that we shoukl accom-
pany him, and at the end of five minutes we had uncon-
ditionally agreed to do so. Accordingly, at four o'clock
we repaired to the railway station, secured soats in a com-
fortable smoking car, litaour meerschaums, and soon were
flying along the rails at a thirty-mile rate, toward the town
of M. Hero a clumsy stage-coach was found in waiting, on
the top of which we established ourselves and th 3 dogs,
and after a jolt of five miles over a succession of rough
hills, we wero set down in "apparent goodorder " at Uncle
Jog's door.

And perhaps we did not receive a hearty welcome from
the veteran himself, who is blessed with " a voice as clear
and strong as a northwest wind, and a great laugh suitable
to it ;" perhaps we were not warmly welcomed by some
half-a-dozen old acquaintances, congregated in the little
bar-room; and perhaps we were not most cordially invited
to " take it hot, with sugar"—well, perhaps ! We know,
however, that in a very short time after our arrival we
were summoned to partake of a supper such as an old-
fashioned country tavern only can furnish, and are confi-
dent that the profits accruing therefrom, if any, must
have been infinitesimal, for we "ate the table clean to the
dishes."

Having accomplished this gastronomic feat, wo returned
to the bar-room, where, in the midst of a weather-crops-
cattle-affairs-of-the-nation-discussing assembly, entertain-
ment was found until about nine o'clock, when, at the
suggestion of Laurain 0., before mentioned—an old shoot-
ing companion, and, by the way, a capital shot —a party of
kindred spirits adjourned to the back room of the tavern,
the very appearance of which is suggestive of rollicking
times ; and here, with stories, songs, jokes, the fragrant
weed, and a liberal supply of pure and strong substitute
for vinum Samium, we enjoyed ourselves until past eleven,
when, remembering that we should have to rise early on
the following morning, we bade the company (who showed
no signs of adjourning) good night, sought our small but
neat apartment, and submitted ourselves to the arms of
Somnus.

A ringing knock upon the door, accompanied by the
voice of Jake, the hostler, aroused us at daybreak, and,
quickly donning our sporting rigs, we descended to the
dining-room, where a hearty breakfast awaited. This was
soon disposed of, and the dogs having been fed—a du►y
which we invariably attend to ourselves, believing with
Dr. Lewis that it attaches the animal to his master, and
consequently makes him the more subservient to his will,
and therefore the more anxious to do that which will
merit his caresses and kind treatment—the " pocket pis-
tols " filled, and some minor matters duly attended to, we
shouldered our guns, and, with the best wishes for a suc-
cessful day from Uncle Joe, took our departure for the
field. •

Having agreed the previous evening to meet our friend
Laurain at his house, distant about a mile and a half front
the village, we took the pleasant road leading thereto, and
proceeded leisurely along, enjoying the golden sunlight,
the cool, bracing air, the sight of the beautiful though
fading fields of meadows, carpeted with richest green,
and of the silent, shady woods arrayed in their brilliant
vestments, and, in fact, all the innumerable autumnal
attractions of nature, with a zest appreciable only by those
horn rich in the eyes and ears," to which class we profess
to belong.

"It must have been just such a morning as this,'
remarked Fred, " that the poet had in mind whin ho
wrote :

"The sun in mellow light sleeps on the hills,
The lazy river rolls in silence on,
The woods keep Sabbath, 'till the deep-mouthed bay
Of wandering fox-hound breaks upon the ear ;
Or horn the top of an old chestnut falls
The tempting nut the startled sluirrel drops,
Parting the fading leaves with pattering sound ;
Or on the rotten log beside the stile,
The busy partridge beats her woodland drum.
The frost has tipped the tree, with lovelier tints
Than pencil over gave to forest scone ;
There, green and gold in various hues combine,
Spotted with crimson where the maple stands,
And when the sun upon the hoar-frost shines,
The foliage sparkles, as though crystal hung
On every leaf, and trembled in the air."
" Aye, it must, indeed," we replied, "and graphically has
he described it."

At eight o'clock we arrived at L.'s, and found him armed
andand equippedfor
ould k
the day's
company,dasspor, and almost as eager as
ourselves to be at work ; so it waslesaovoinngarursantgoe,d,shtohoatt
on
our own book," as we have bad a decided preference
for doing, ever since a good friend and usually careful
sportsman accidentally demonstrated the maximum of
proximity attainable between a charge oi No. 8 shot
and the best head we ever possessed, " without any
collision of continuous particles of matter." IVe there-
fore started off again with our setter, following the road
until opposite the farm-house of old Charley D., who
caught sight of us as NVO were passing, and coming out
greeted us warmly, and insisted upon our accom-
panying him into his cellar to taste some cider " that
would do our heart good." We found the sparklin: bever-
age possessed of all the virtues ascribed to it by its whole-
souled, skilful, and experienced manufacturer, but were,
perhaps, better pleased with the information ho gave us
that there were " heaps of quail in them 'ar stubbles over
by the back road," which information of coursa was not
calculated to prolong our stay, and wo soon took our leave
with the expressed intention of proceeding forthwith to
the said stubbles. Our sport, however, was destined to
commence before reaching them, for, as we were travers-
ing a tract of rocky pasture land, lying a little distance in
the rear of the farm buildings, our Better suddenly came to
a stand on the edge of one of the small patches of berry
bushes with which the surface was here and there
covered, and the next moment a fine hare broke from
the opposite side and was making off with very little
ceremony, when a well-directed shot keeled him over
neatly, just as he topped a hillock some thirty yards dis-
tant. "Well, well, but this will do for a beginning—eh,
Wasp, old fellow ? A few more of this species will not
come unacceptable, certainly. And now we think of it,
those woods yonder aro the same in which we enjoyed
such superb cock-shooting a few seasons ago. Perchance
we may find master Scolopax at home' to-day ;at any
rate it's likely they contain game of some sort, so here
goes ;" and, having reloaded, we continued on our way.
Lying on the edge of the woods, and divided therefrom
by a crooked rail-fence, along which grew a tangled
hedge of bushes and tell weeds, was a small field, into
which we bad scarcely entered when Wasp commenced
quartering and feathering in fine style, and presently
stood squeaely on game, close to the before-mentioned
fence.

What that game was we had no means of knowing,
though from the locality we strongly suspected quail ; but
considering it very probable that it might be grouse, and
wishing in that case to test the truth of the assertion that
grouse will bear the presence of a dog, or even the report
of a gun, much better than they will a single sound of the
human voice, we stood perfectly still, and speaking in an
ordinary tone found, sure enough, that such was the fact,
for in an instant, whirr! whirr! up got a brace of fine
full-grown members of the genus Tetra°, whose electrify-
ing rush was quickly followed by a couple of ringing re-
ports, " smoke, feathers, and falling birds." " Down!
Wasp, down ! By Jove, the neatest double shot we ever
made in our life I If it be an augury of the success that
is to attend us to-day, ours will be a respectable bag."

SCARCITY OF WATER IN WEST SURREY.—The
continued drought has dried up the ponds and broiks, and
the greatest difficulty is experienced in procuring a supply
for cattle. Some herds are driven three miles for water,
and on the hill lands carts are employed to fetch it for the
homesteads.

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY, REGENT'S PARK.—
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Grand Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Stre-
litz, with the Princess Mary Adelaide, visited the exhibi-
tion yesterday. The attendance was not luita so large as
ou the first day. Among those present were the Earl of
Sefton, Lord Hilton, Lord and Lady Bagot, Lord Londes-
borough, Countess of Lichfield, the Austriaa, Greek, Ita-
lian, and Spanish Ambassadors, eze.
CORNISH TICKETING, Thursday.—At Camborne
1,667 tons of copper oto realised £3,579 63., an average of
£3 19s. per ton. Stain/T(4.4;103 5.5.7; no alteration. Pro-
duq9 Gi=olP2 tatil 4 Mt: 64149 copper.