"Aren't they, Roderick?"
The keeper regarded the two birds contemptuously, and shook his head.
"Well, Waveney, we will give you five minutes' grace, if you like," Sir
Hugh said. "Sit down and have a pipe."
But this slim and wiry warrior had not even taken the gun from his
shoulder.
"No, no," said he, "if you are ready, I am. I can get plenty of smoking
done in the South."
So they began again; but the afternoon was now on the wane, and the
beats were leading them homewards. Only two small incidents that befell
the novice need mentioning. The first happened in this wise: the dogs
were ranging widely over what appeared to be rather a barren beat, when
suddenly one of them came to a dead point a considerable distance on. Of
course Captain Waveney and Sir Hugh hurried forward; but Lionel could
not, for he had got into trouble with a badly jammed cartridge. Just as
he heard the first shot fired, he managed to get the empty case
extracted and to replace it with a full one; and then he was about to
hasten forward when he saw the covey rise--a large covey it was--while
Captain Waveney got a right and left, and Sir Hugh fired his remaining
barrel, for he had not had time to reload.
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