Along the left-hand fence ran a
thick belt of underwood, sumac and birch, with a few young oak trees
interspersed; but in the middle of the swampy level, covering at most
some five or six acres, was a dense circular thicket composed of every
sort of thorny bush and shrub, matted with cat-briers and wild vines,
and overshadowed by a clump of tall and leafy ashes, which had not as
yet lost one atom of their foliage, although the underwood beneath them
was quite sere and leafless.
"Now then," cried Harry, "this is the 'Squire's swamp-hole!' Now for a
dozen cock! hey, Tom? Here, couple up the setters, Tim; and let the
spaniels loose. Now Flash! now Dan! down charge, you little villains!"
and the well broke brutes dropped on the instant. "How must we beat this
cursed hole?"
"You must go through the very thick of it, consarn you!" exclaimed Tom;
"at your old work already, hey? trying to shirk at first!"
"Don't swear so! you old reprobate! I know my place, depend on it,"
cried Archer; "but what to do with the rest of you!--there's the rub!"
"Not a bit of it," cried Tom--"here, Yorkshire--Ducklegs--here, what's
your name--get away you with those big dogs--atwixt the swamp-hole, and
the brush there by the fence, and look out that you mark every bird to
an inch! You, Mr.
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