THE WONDERFUL HARE-HUNT.

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MerrIty sounded the cock’s shrill horn, and brightly shone tie
early morning sun, when a party of young sportsmen set out to
the field, armed with their guns and game-bags. Four beaters
from the neighbouring village attended them, each with a long
stick to rout the hares and rabbits from their hiding-places. Gaily
went they forth, these merry sportsmen and their helpers; light
was their step across the green meadows and up the sandy hill-
sides ; loud was their laughter when one of them, trying to jump
through a broken hedge, fell into the neighbouring ditch; great
was their mirth when another’s gun went off and lamed a squirrel
im an adjoining tree; and joyous was the shout with which they

scared a frightened rabbit from its morning meal.

At last the sportsmen came to the side of a wood, and one of
the beaters reported that just round the corner of the palings he
could see nearly a dozen hares feeding together. A council of war

was summoned ; each sportsman looked to the priming of his gun,