I don't preserve much
here, you know, at least not now. You will only get a dozen cock
pheasants and a few brace of partridges."
"Oh, thank you," he answered, "I always like to have a second gun in
case I should want it. It's no trouble, you know."
"All right," said the Squire. "Ida and I will come down with the
luncheon to the grove. Good-bye."
After crossing the moat, Edward Cossey walked by himself, followed by
his man and a very fine retriever, and the Colonel talked to George,
who was informing him that Mr. Cossey was "a pretty shot, he wore, but
rather snappy over it," till they came to a field of white turnips.
"Now, gentlemen, if you please," said George, "we will walk through
these here turnips. I put two coveys of birds in here myself, and it's
rare good 'lay' for them; so I think that we had better see if they
will let us come nigh them."
Accordingly they started down the field, the Colonel on the right,
George in the middle and Edward Cossey on the left.
Before they had gone ten yards, an old Frenchman got up in the front
of one of the beaters and wheeled round past Edward, who cut him over
in first-rate style.
From that one bird the Colonel could see that the man was a quick and
clever shot. Presently, however, a leash of English birds rose rather
awkwardly at about forty paces straight in front of Edward Cossey, and
Harold noticed that he left them alone, never attempting to fire at
them.
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