The Portland daily press., 1874-02-28
GAME.

We lodged together. We were sitting chat
ting over the fire one Christmas Eve, enjoy
ing ourselves with some whiskey hot, and as
nice bit of bird's-eye as was procurable,
when Frank suggested that, as we should
have holiday on Boxing day, we couldn't
do better than have a days shooting.
''Captal ideap' remarked Tom, ''nothing
would please me BETTER"
did wild pirouette round the room, fin
ishing up with a breakdown la Mackney,
with delight. Just the very thing! Hadn't
1, as a boy, succeeded, by an immense
amount ofcoaxing, in wheedling my brother
to lend me his gun; and hadn't l, by exer-
cising as much cunning as an Indian on the
trail of an enemy, succeeded in getting with
in a few yards of chafinch, and, by using a
stump of tree as rest, fired and thorough
ly dissected the object of my ambition? l
can well remember the thrill OF delight that
pervaded my youthful frame as l saw the
feathers fly and the bird fall What hero
thought myself!
Well, it was decided that we should have a
days shooting, but then came the question
of arms and warfare. Frank could borrow
one gun; but as Tom and 1 were not SO for
tunate as to have friend possessed of the
needtul, we began to look blue.
SWELL" said Frank. ''it We cannot pro-
cure two more, we must take it in turns to
fire."
This didn't come up to my idea of days
sport; so after 4 great deal of Illuminating,
we waited in a body on an iron-monger,
whom we persuaded into allowing us to hire
two guns for the sum of ten shillings.
Boxing day arrived. We were up betimes,
and laid in a stock o, ammuntiOn-nearly,
afterward found, enough for week-and off
we started, using the utmost care in carrying
our guns as sportsmen, and feeling as big as
well-clerks.
Modesty prevents my saying how we
looked, but at any rate we got horribly
chaffed en- route through the town. One
whether we had insured our lives; another
as to our having taken the precaulion to
make our wills; and other playful remarks
were aimed at us. We were good-tempered
not single touch of bile in our whole
bodies. Wasn't it Christmas time, and were
we not going to have glorious day, and had
we not all an Invitation to party at the
principal confectioner.s in the evening
which confectoner, l may here add, pos
sessed some jolly daughters, one-Amy-be-
ing the jolliest, sweetest, and prettiest of the
lot-in my eyes.
We were soon out of the town and into the
fields; and now for sport.
Frank gave us strict injunctions TO keep
our eyes open. We did.
Tom would stick close to me with the muz-
zle OF his gun generally in line with my
head, No luck through the first field. We
did see a flock of starlings, but they
wouldn't be circumvented At last got
shot at lark. and missed it. He-it must
have been he-commenced warbling away
with the greatest nonchaance, and, thought
treating me with contempt; taking no notice
of my shot, but gently gliding into the next
field. Tom thought had fired too low. l
thought had forgotten to put any shot in
my gun, but didn't say so. Before had
again loaded, espled another bird coming
over,
',Nowr' I exclaimed, ''here's chance
look out"
Tom, I must mention, was uncorhmonly
near-sighted, and carried an eye-gass, which
eye-glass was always a source of trouble to
him, for after screwing his features into the
most frightful contortiohs, that glass would
not stick in his eye. 1 have known him to
spend no end of time in attempting to fix it
without avail. He now wears spectacles. \
."Where" said Tom, exctedlHs
''There; coming right over your head
make haste.''
Up went the glass, and a glimpse was
caught OF the bird, now out of range; the gun
raised, steady aim taken at the spot where he
imagined the bird to be; report; up went the
eye-glass with view to seeing the effect of
the shot. The bird didn't fall; but Tom
would persist in affirming that it was hit; and
there he stood watching until it was out of
sight.
''Better luck next time,' he said, when he
found the bird was really gone: but the bet
ter luck never came.
Frank all this time had been sauntering
some thirty yards in the rear, and looked very
happy, putting away at his briar-root. l now
CHANGED to look towards him, and at that mo-
ment he commenced the most singular ca
pers: down went his pipe, his arm waved to
us frantically, which construed into ''don't
make a noise," he began steathily walking
on the tips or his toes to the hedge; gun rails
ed-ain taken-gun down again-up again
more tiptoe business. This was repeated
over and over again, till at last he fired, with
yahoop-rushed up the bank, and began
searching diligently in the hedge.
We thought he had bagged prize, so went
to gloat over the spoil. We helped in the
search, till at last we suggested that he had
missed his bird. This rnffled Franks plum
age, and he went vigorously again to work,
and with shout of victory held up to our
admiring eyes, a-well, tell it not in Gath
tomtit He was as proud as if it had been a
pheasant. This put new life into us and we
hoped to be in position to carry home
good bag-I think that is the correct term.
Inc fates were not propitious. Whether
the birds were impressed with the unerrng
decision Of our aim, or whether the guns
would not carry true, our sport was bad, in
fact, outrageously bad-birds couldn't be got
at. Even if we did manage to get within
shooting distance, we either fired too high or
too low, or at this or the other side We had
left fields behind us, having walked miles. |
and were now on ploughed land. We were |
just getting off one piece into a lane, when |
we were accosted by "a man having the APP
pearauce of farmer. who, in ANYTHING bi,t (
dulcet tones, inquired il We knew what we
were doing
Certainly )" replied we-ssshooting
The next question was, who had given us !
permission. Frank, always of merry turn |
Of mind, and thinking the questioner was |
rather impertnent in thus catechizing us, in |
formed him, "Snooks." This didn't satisfy |
him. Had we licence? We informed him
that as neither OF us contemplated marriage |
al that moment, we did not possess icence |
MS rather upset him; he wanted our names |
anu addresses, which we declined to give, and /
thought 1T quite time we turnedsthe tables:
~ we inquired after his health, where he re- |
Iuvu, ana asked if he mad not some good
nothe-prewed at home, and would he not in
vite us to taste itp "0u ho HUI III
he dldn lake kindly to our bad;nooo. H.
informed us we were three younu .sso, LIZ
was the owner of the land; we had bao, ne
passing, shooting without licence. rendn les
ourselves liable to prosecution. He was IN
cined to think we had been after game and
insisted upon our showing him what we had
in our bag. Poor Frank, he carried the spoil. |
and shall never forget his detected asnect |
when he held up to the indignant farmer the |
little tomtit. Although was shaking in NV
shoes at the position in which we were nlaced |
I could not help bursting out in hearty
laugh. and even the old farmer could NOT re-,
sist a smile. We apologzed, gave him our
names, but failed to appease him. He turn
ed on his heel, and walked away with a mart
ing salute that we should hear further of the |
matter.
We went home, sadder but wiser men: we |
had undoubtedly got into hot water. Here
was pretty ending-one tomtit, and sum-
mons for trespass in prospective. 1t was no
use 6rooding over it, so when evening came
we dressed and went to the party; not, how
f Ever, IN our usual spirits. We didn't feel
the there was that horrible meeting with
the maai5, and the anticipat ed parade before
n ma generally ea the life and soul of the com
pyi Io ,,o sing good song, comic or sent
guest Inns night we were distrst al and
were many inquiries after e our u.s. so for there
tried to be lively, but mserabIy fa dea1'h' We
The weight of woe must ha~ ~ee ba
D0rtraVl6