ot him, for Mr Rimmer says we're
never to go about anywhere now without loaded guns 'cause of the
hinjuns--but bless your 'art, afore you could say `Fire' he was off over
the trees, and I was that aggrawated as never was, for he was a fine
'un."

"There, what did I say, Tommy?" growled Wriggs. "Let him have it all."

"Look-ye here, messmate, are you a-goin' to tell the story, or am I?"

"Well, you'd better go on, Tommy, as you began it, on'y you gets
driftin' to the lee so, instead o' sailin' ahead."

"Look here, you'd better do it yoursen," cried Smith.

"No, no, go on, man," said Oliver.

"All right, sir," grumbled Smith. "Well, Billy Wriggs says as he was
sure he come there to feed of a morning, and pick up the wurms, and that
if we got up early and waited there, we should see my gentleman again.
So we says nothin' to nobody, did we, Billy?"

"Not a word, messmate."

"And gets there very early nex' morning, but he'd got there afore us,
and _Chuck_, he says, and away he went, 'fore I'd time to think o'
shootin' at him. But never mind, I says, I will be ready for yer
to-morrer mornin', and we gets there much sooner, and waited in the
dark. We hadn't been there more'n a minute before we know'd he'd been
afore us, for we could hear him querking an' cherking to himself all in
a low tone, just as if he was a-saying, `There's a couple o' chaps
hangin' about to get a look at my feathers, and I just aren't goin' to
let 'em.'"

"Yes, it were just like that," said Wriggs, giving his head an approving
nod.

"Ay, it weer, Billy, and my heye, sir, how we two did try to get a
glimpse of him. But bless yer 'art, sir, it was that dark as never was.
He didn't mind, for we could hear him flickin' about in the trees, and
flying down on the ground, and then makin' quite a flutter as he went up
again, and talkin' to hissen all the time about us."

"You're a long time getting to the shooting, Smith," said Oliver.

"That's a true word, sir. We was, for it got light at last, and both me
and Billy had our guns ready to pop off, but he warn't there then. Not
a sign of him. Oh, he was a hartful one! He knowed what we was up to,
and he goes and gets there in the middle o' the night, has what he
wants, and then off he goes all quiet like before we could see."

"But you did shoot it at last?"

"Ay, sir, I did, but not that mornin', which was yesterday, you know.
For, Billy, I says, this here game won't do."

"Ay, you di