The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-08-14
CHAPTER I.
GOBO STRIKES.
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sand acres of shooting
ground round the place he bought in
Yorkshire. over hundred of which
were wood.
1t was the second year of lis occu-
.,ation of the estate, and already he
bad reared a very fair head of pleas
ahts, for he was an all-around sports
man, and as fond of shooting with a
shotgun as with an eight-bore rifle.
We were three guns that day, Sir
Henry Curtis, old QuatermaiD, and my
s--if, but Sir Henry had to leave in
the middle of the afternoon in order
to meet his agent and inspect an out
eying farm where a new shed was
wanted.
He was, however, coming back to
dinner, and going to bring Captain
Good with him, for Brayley Hall was
not more than two miles from the
Grange.
We had met with very fair sport,
considering that we were only going
through outlying covers for cocks.
I think that we had killed twenty
seven, woodcock and leash of part
ridges, which we had got out of a
driven covey.
On our way home there lay long,
narrow spinny which was very IA
vorite "lie' for woodcock, and gener-
ally held a pheasant or two as we'll.
'.WelI, what do you say said old
Quatermain-s'sha we beat through
this for finish?''
I assented, and he called to the keep
er, who was following with a little
knot of beaters, and told him to beat
the spinny.
Every we'll, sir" answered the man;
shut it's getting wonderful dark, and
the winds rising a gale.
1T will take you all your time to
hit woodcock if the spinny holds
one"
'.You show us the woodcock. JEFF
fries" answered Quatermain, quickly,
for he never liked being crossed in any
thing to do with sport, "and we will
look after shooting them"
The man turned and went rather
eulkily.
I heard him say to another keeper:
"Hes pretty good, the master is, I'm
not saying he isn't. but if he kills a
woodcock in this light and wind, I'm
Dutchmanr'
1 think that Quatermain heard him,
loo, though he said nothing.
The wind was rising every minute,
and by the time the beat began it was
blowing big guns.
1 stood at the right-hand corner of
the spinny, which curved round some
what. and Quatermain stood at the
left, some forty PAGES from me.
Presently an old cock-pheasant came
rocketing ,ver me, looking as though
the feathers were aV being blown out
of his tail.
I missed him clean with the first
barrel, and was never more pleased
with myself in my life than when l
doubled him up with the second, for
the shot was not an easy one.
In the faint light 1 could just see
Quatermain nodding his head i'll ap-
proval, when through the groaning of
the trees l heard the shouts of the
beaters:
Cock forward."s
"Cock to the right"
Then came a whole volley of shouts:
'Woodcock to the right" Cock to
the left" "Cock over"
l looked up. and presently caught
sight of one of the wnodcocks coming
down the wind upon me like a fash.
In that dim light l could not follow
his movements as he zigzagged
through the naked tree tops; indeed:
l could only see him when his wings
fitted up.
Now he was passing me.
- Bang, and q flick of the wing.
/ had missed him.
Bang again.
Surely he was down.
No; there he went to my left.
Cock TO you" 1 shouted, stepping
forward so as to get Quatermain be-
tween me and the faint angry light of
the dying day, for I wanted to see If
lie would wipe my eye"
l knew him to be wonderful shot.
but that cock would, thought, puzzle
him.
l saw him raise his gun ever 50 little
Rnd bend forward, and Rt that mo
ment cut flashed two woodcocks into
the open the one had missed to his
right, and the other to his left.
At the same time fresh shout arose
of "Woodcock over" and looking down
the spinny I saw third bird high up
in the air. being blown along like a
brown and whirling leaf straight over
Quatermains head.
And then followed the Drettiest little
bit of shooting that 1 ever saw.
The bird to the right was flying low,
not len yards from the line of the
hedge-row, and Quatermain took him
first because he would become in
visible the soonest of any.
Indeed, nobody who had not his
hawks eyes could have seen to shoot
him.
But lie saw him we'll enough to kill
him dead rs Il stone.
Then turning sharply lie pulled on
The second bird at about forty five
yardS. and over he went.
k.- this time the third woodcock was
Ecarly over him and flying very high
straight down the wind. 4 hundred
feet IN or more, l should say.
| saw him glance at it as he opened
his gun. threw out the right cartridge
and slipped in another, turning round
as he did so.
By this time the cock was nearly
fifty yards away from him, and travel
ing like a fash.
Lifting his gun, he fired after it, and
wonderful as the shot was, killed il
dead.
A tearing gust of wind caught the
dead bird and blew it right away like