a THE HISTORY OF A ROOK. 99

 

picking up something for dinner. There was a hedge
not far off, and along this same hedge came several
of these Christmas sportsmen, on the look-out for any-
thing they could find to shootat. Iwas pecking away
very quictly, with several of my companions near me,
and sheep scattered here and there all round about
us. Presently I thought I would perch on the back
of one of these animals, where there is frequently food
to be found, and I followed the bent of my inclination
in doing so.

Of course I fancied I was quite safe, although
the gunners were tolerably near. I knew that the
sheep would be my protector; and, moreover, the
weather was so intensely cold and my hunger so
great that I cared less for possible danger than perhaps
was prudent. Anyhow, neither I nor any rook in his
senses could have expected what followed. From the
hedge about thirty yards off, one of the younger of
the sportsmen took a deliberate pot-shot at me
whilst I sat on the top of the sheep! Fortunately
for me, this class of sportsmen are not addicted to
hitting the object at which they aim, or it might
have gone hard with me. He hit the sheep, however,
and the poor animal, astonished at this unexpected
treatment, bounded up so suddenly that I was forced
to fly off, which I did without delay. From the
gestures and voices of the men I found that the reck-
less youth who had fired at a bird among the sheep
got at least a good scolding for his pains, but this
would have availed me but littie had I been struck
by his shot as he intended.

The wood-pigeons were a source of considerable

H2