hange myself into ordinary knickerbockers, lest I
should catch death with a cold.

But I declined, disdaining such dangers, and assuring him that I did not
at all dislike the excessive ventilation of my knees.

We drove to Mr BAGSHOT'S residence, Rowans Castle, in a hired machine,
and found the gentlemen-shooters gathered outside the portico. Amongst
the party I was pleased to observe Hon'ble Justice CUMMERBUND, who, when
we were all ascended into the waggonette-break, did rally me very
good-humouredly upon some mixed bag of elephants and tigers he had heard
(or so he said) I had accomplished in some up-country jungle.

At first, knowing that this was the utter impossibility, I perspired
with terror that he was making me the fool, but apparently he was
himself under a misunderstanding, for when we had left the vehicle and
were preparing to advance, he paid me the distinguished compliment of
entreating that I might be awarded the command of one extremity of the
line, while he himself was to preside over the opposite end!

And thus we commenced to climb a steep hill, thickly covered with a very
pricklesome heather, and black slimy bogs, wherein the varnish of my
patent-leather shoes did soon become totally dimmed. So, being gravely
incommoded by the shortness of my wind, I entrusted my musket to an
under-keeper, begging him to inform me of the early approach of any stag
or deer.

However, we saw nothing to shoot at except various sorts of wild
poultry, and when some of these flew up immediately in front of me, I
was too late, owing to the carriage of my gun by an underling, to do
more than fire off a couple of barrels as a declaration of hostility.

But profiting by this lesson in being _semper paratus_, I refused to
part again with my deadly instrument, and stumbled manfully onwards with
finger upon the triggers, letting them fly instantaneously at the first
appearance of any animals _ferae naturae_.

It is not customary, I was assured, to slay the wild sheep in these
districts, though horned, and of an excessively ferocious appearance,
and even when firing my bullets at birds, I was subjected to continual
reproofs from some officious keeper or other.

For example, I was not to shoot into a flock of partridges, for the
superstitious reason, forsooth! that it was still the month of August,
which is supposed to be unlucky!

Again, I was rebuked for burning powder at a grey hen, because it is the
wife of a black-c