Forester, go in there, under that butter-nut; you'll
find a blind track there, right through the brush--keep that 'twixt Tim
and Mr. Archer; and keep your eyes skinned, do! there'll be a cock up
before you're ten yards in. Archer, you'll go right through, and I'll..."
"You'll keep well forward on the right--and mind that no bird crosses to
the hill; we never get them, if they once get over. All right! In with
you now! Steady, Flash! steady! hie up, Dan!" and in a moment Harry was
out of sight among the brush-wood, though his progress might be traced
by the continual crackling of the thick underwood.
Scarce had I passed the butter-nut, when, even as Torn had said, up
flapped a woodcock scarcely ten yards before me, in the open path, and
rising heavily to clear the branches of a tall thorn bush, showed me his
full black eye, and tawny breast, as fair a shot as could be fancied.
"Mark!" holloaed Harry to my right, his quick ear having caught the flap
of the bird's wing, as he rose. "Mark cock--Frank!"
Well--steadily enough, as I thought, I pitched my gun up! covered my
bird fairly! pulled!--the trigger gave not to my finger. I tried the
other.
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