Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/246

188 188 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

bearing a bag of capacious dimensions, aad accompanied by a brace of pointers.

" I say," whispered Mr. Winkle to Wardle, as the man let down the Steps, " they don't suppose we're going to kill game enough to fill those bags, do they ? "

« Fill them ! " exclaimed old Wardle. " Bless you, yes ! You shall fill one, and I the other ; and when we've done with them, the pockets of our shooting-jackets will hold as much more."

Mr. Winkle dismounted without saying anything in reply to this observation ; but he thought within himself, that if the party remained in the open air, till he had filled one of the bags, they stood a considerable chance of catching tolerable colds in the head.

" Hi, Juno, lass — hi, old girl ; down, Daph, down," said Wardle, caressing the dogs. " Sir Geoffrey still in Scotland, of course, Martin?"

The tall gamekeeper replied in the affirmative, and looked with some surprise from Mr, Winkle, who was holding his gun as if he wished his coat pocket to save him the trouble of pulling the trigger, to Mr. Tup- man, who was holding his, as if he were afraid of it — as there is no earthly reason to doubt that he really was.

" My friends are not much in the way of this sort of thing yet, Martin," said Wardle, noticing the look. " Live and learn, you know. They'll be good shots one of these days. I beg my friend Winkle's pardon, though ; he has had some practice."

Mr. Winkle smiled feebly over his blue neckerchief in acknowledg- ment of the compliment, and got himself so mysteriously entangled with his gun, in his modest confusion, that if the piece had been loaded, he must inevitably have shot himself dead upon the spot.

" You mustn't handle your piece in that ere way, when you come to have the charge in it, Sir," said the tall gamekeeper gruffly, " or I'm damned if you won't make cold meat of some on us."

Mr. Winkle, thus admonished, abruptly altered its position, and in so doing, contrived to bring the barrel into pretty smart contact with Mr. Weller's head.

" Hallo ! " said Sam, picking up his hat, which had been knocked off, and rubbing his temple. " Hallo, Sir ! if you comes it this vay, you'll fill one o* them bags, and something to spare, at one fire."

Here the leather-leggined boy laughed very heartily, and then tried to look as if it was somebody else, whereat Mr. Winkle frowned majestically.

" Where did you tell the boy to meet us with the snack, Martin?" inquired Wardle.

" Side of One-tree Hill, at twelve o'clock. Sir."

" That's not Sir Geoffrey's land, is it?"

"No, Sir; but it's close by it. It's Captain Boldwig's land; but there'll be nobody to interrupt us, and there's a fine bit of turf there."

" Very well," said old Wardle. " Now the sooner we're off the better. Will you join us at twelve, then, Pickwick ? "

Mr. Pickwick was particularly desirous to view the sport, the more especially as he was rather anxious in respect of Mr. Winkle's life and

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