got home at night!"

"How so," asked Frank, "in what way had you the laugh?"

"Simply in this--a good many of the birds were very hard shot, as is
always the case in summer shooting, and all of them got more or less
wet, as did the pockets of Jem's shooting jacket, wherein he persisted
in carrying his birds all day--the end was, that when we got home at
night, it having been a close, hot, steamy day, he had not one bird
which was not more or less tainted--and, as you know of course, when
taint has once begun, nothing can check it."

"Ay! ay! well that indeed's a reason; if you can't buy such a bag,
especially!"

"Well, you cannot then, I can tell you! and I'm glad you're convinced
for once; and here comes breakfast--so now let us to work, that we may
get on our ground as early as may be. For quail you cannot be too early;
for if you don't find them while they are rambling on their feeding
ground, it is a great chance if you find them at all."

"But, after all, you can only use up one or two bevies or so; and, that
done, you must hunt for them in the basking time of day, after all's
done and said," replied Frank, who seemed to have got up somewhat
paradoxically given that morning.

"Not at all, Frank, not at all," answered Harry--"that is if you know
your ground; and know it to be well stocked; and have a good marker with
you."

"Oh! this is something new of yours--some strange device fantastical--
let's have it, pray."

"Certainly you shall; you shall have it now in precept, and in an hour
or two in practice. You see those stubbles on the hill--in those seven
or eight fields there are, or at least should be, some five bevies;
there is good covert, good easy covert all about, and we can mark our
birds down easily; now, when I find one bevy, I shall get as many
barrels into it as I can, mark it down as correctly as possible, and
then go and look for another."

"What! and not follow it up? Now, Harry, that's mere stuff; wait till
the scent's gone cold, and till the dogs can't find them? 'Gad, that's
clever, any way!"

"Exactly the reverse, friend Frank; exactly the reverse. If you follow
up a bevy, of quail mark you, on the instant, it's ten to one almost
that you don't spring them. If, on the contrary, you wait for half an
hour, you are sure of them. How it is, I cannot precisely tell you. I
have sometimes thought that quail have the power of holding in their
scent, whether purposely or naturally--from the e