"Well! Harry," exclaimed Frank, as he set down his gun, and sat down to
the table, "I must for once knock under--your practice has borne out
your precepts."
THE WOODCOCK
Luncheon was soon discussed, a noble cold quail pie and a spiced round
of beef, which formed the most essential parts thereof, displaying in
their rapidly diminished bulk ocular evidence of the extent of
sportmen's appetites; a single glass of shrub and water followed,
cheroots were lighted, and forth the comrades sallied, the Commodore
inquiring as they went what were the prospects of success.
"You fellows," he concluded, "have, I suppose, swept the ground
completely."
"That you shall see directly," answered Archer; "I shall make you no
promises. But see how evidently Grouse recollects those dogs of mine,
though it is nearly a year since they have met; don't you think so,
A---?"
"To be sure I do," replied the Commodore; "I saw it the first moment you
came up--had they been strangers he would have tackled them upon the
instant; and instead of that he began wagging his tail, and wriggling
about, and playing with them. Oh! depend upon it, dogs think, and
remember, and reflect far more than we imagine--"
"Oh! run back, Timothy--run back!" here Archer interrupted him--"we
don't want you this afternoon.
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