11.] THE HISTORY OF A ROOK. 85

 

with the deferential bearing of the latter, sufficiently
indicated his official position. It was while they were
resting from their labours beneath the tree in which I
was perched, that the following conversation ensued.

‘A fine lot o’ young rooks, Jem, surelie, said the
other man.

‘They be, Bristow, that they be, was the reply ;
and presently, after a pause, ‘They tell me, Bristow,
that there’s many people as thinks a rook pie better
nor a pigeon pie. That can’t be, but I don’t know as
it’s a thing to be despised, after all is said and done,’

“Oh no,’ replied the other, ‘not noways to be de-
spised, but nothing like a pigeon pie, o’ course. Oh
no, oh no.’

“And,’ continued the keeper, ‘I don’t know but
what a rook pie, if the rooks is young, and the crust
made about right, very nigh comes up to a pigeon
pie after all.’

‘Sure it does,’ returned Bristow in meditative tone,
‘not so good as a pigeon pie, but very nigh it if rightly
made, as you say.’

In another minute the keeper continued: ‘And some
folks will tell you, and as far as my opinion goes they’re
in the right of it, that just at this season, when the
rooks is young and tender, a rook pie is quite as good
as a pigeon pie, after all.’

‘Very little difference, replied Bristow at once, ‘if
the birds is young and tender, rook pie or pigeon pie,
what’s the difference ?’

‘And for my part,’ added the keeper, ‘7 like a
rook pie better than what I do a pigeon pie, and that’s
the truth of it.’