Crimp's immense success with the great gun, were (to many who were not familiar with the sport) considered astonishing, and, as usual amongst dealers in the marvellous, had become considerably exaggerated. Suffice it to say, at the close of the season Crimp showed me thirty-two sovereigns, all of which he had earned with the punt and gun.

Having now brought my tale down to the days of manhood, when I felt that the good things of this life were sent us for our enjoyment, and I saw not that excessive delight in the vanities of the world and fashionable society that many young men do; on the contrary, my pleasure was centred in sporting adventures of almost every variety; but in none did I take more delight in severe weather than in wild-fowl shooting, both by sea, river, and land. The reader will not, therefore, be surprised at any extravagance, when I inform him I had another new punt built, and bought another new gun, that I might go out more frequently with my venerable friend, and have still greater indulgence in a sport I was passionately fond of.

The first shot I had with this gun was as good as I ever made afterwards; it was under the following circumstances: I was gently rowing down the river with Crimp at my side, looking out for a chance to try the gun; we had proceeded a considerable distance without falling in with a shot, and began to think our chance for the day was at end; when Crimp, standing erect in his punt, taking the telescope in his hand, and peering with searching glances into every bay and inlet around us, at last rested on some object or other that appeared to rivet his attention.

"Anything to be seen, Crimp?" I anxiously inquired.

"I rather think there's half a score of fowl of some kind or other over there to the north'ard," he replied.

We then rowed some two or three hundred yards nearer, when Crimp again made use of the telescope, and told me there was a small parcel of fowl, but he could not clearly distinguish what they were; he, nevertheless, thought they looked more like divers than anything else.

"And if they are divers," he added, "you'll be sure of a chance." I was now full of excitement at the prospect of a shot, and used my best endeavours to paddle carefully up to the birds. I soon discovered that Crimp had rightly conjectured as to the species of fowl, by the constant diving of some one or other of the little assemblage, and distinctly counted twelve as I approached within a hundred yards of their feathers; I then found they had discovered me, and were swimming away faster than I was approaching. I therefore put on extra exertion, and gained rapidly upon them, until the muzzle of my gun was within bearing distance, as they sat in a beautiful group as nicely together as any sportsman could wish. "Now's the time," I thought, and, pulling the trigger, killed ten out of the twelve, dead; and so far wounded the other two, that after two or three divings they also turned on their backs, and I took them into the boat: not a bird had escaped.

"A very pretty shot," said Crimp, as he pulled along-side me just as I picked up my last bird. "I have had my glass upon you all the time; it was no bungler that would double up that lot at one shot: nor can it be a bad sort of a gun to heave the shot so accurately."

"The thanks are all due to you, Crimp," said I; "it is you who

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taught me the use of a punt gun, and showed me the way to approach my birds."

In course of time we found that a jealousy existed amongst other wildfowl shooters, as they daily heard the roar of our great guns, and the reports that were abroad as to our astounding success. A severe winter however set in, and there was great abundance of wildfowl of all kinds, so that every industrious fowler made a good round sum of his earnings, which enabled them to provide themselves with punts of similar construction to ours: and the following winter there were four new gunning punts launched by our neighbouring fowlers.

A disagreeable but amusing incident occurred to one of these men, named "Ted Steele," a fowler who pursued his calling more by night than by day. But before proceeding with Ted on his midnight excursions, the reader must follow me ashore to a bank thrown up close by the riverside, where two men lay concealed in motionless silence, with their guns pointed in the direction of a flock of wild ducks, which were unsuspectingly swimming in-shore, towards the bank, with the flowing tide; both had their guns cocked, and fingers on the triggers: a welltrained dog was lying at their feet, to obey instant orders when required. In a few seconds they would have fired; the signal had passed between them to "stand by," when bang! roared an unexpected gun from a punt which they had only that moment discovered within fifty yards of the bank.

"It's that d -d fellow, Ted Steele, again," said one of the men ; "this is the third time he has spoilt our sport this moon. I'll see if I can't make him steer another course, instead of coming here under the bank every night. I say, Ted, why don't you leave this part of the river to us; 'tis the only place where we shore-fellows can get a chance? We were just going to shoot at those birds as you came up." which Ted replied, "How could I tell you were behind the bank? I could not see you. I have a living to get at the sport, and follow it up wherever I think there's the best chance."

"Well, now," said one of the men to his companions,

To

66 as master Ted appears inclined to be saucy, to-morrow night we'll be prepared for him; and try if we can't put him off his course, and have some fun into the bargain."

The night following they took their stations behind the bank, as usual. It was a fine moonlight night; and as the tide flowed they could hear the sound of some wildfowl approaching and shortly after a punt was discovered waiting the flow of tide. "There's Ted, or

I'm a sinner," said one, as he drew the shot from his gun and placed a charge of hard peas on the top of the powder, the other man following his example. Gradually flowed the tide, and with it came the birds. The cautious puntman had prepared for action, and was lying flat on his chest, gently paddling towards them; when he came within 50 or 60 yards of the bank, bang! bang! went the shore guns plump at Ted Steele, who roared out lustily "they had killed him; he felt the shot from head to foot."

"Then why the deuce don't you go to some other part of the river ? We took you for the wild-fowl," said the men.

Having somewhat recovered from his fright, he began to find he was not hurt, although terribly stung; and when he saw the peas scattered

about his punt, suspected the hoax. Then, thirsting for vengeance, he pulled ashore, and set off in pursuit of one of the offenders, who (as previously arranged) ran away as hard as he could. The other man had concealed himself close under the bank; when, taking advantage of the opportunity thus afforded him of inspecting Ted Steele's punt, he jumped into it, and rowed away from the shore, wishing poor Ted a "good night, and pleasant walk home," and telling him he meant to have "a night's punting at Ted's expense.

It will not be prudent to follow the highly-exasperated Ted through the catalogue of curses he heaped upon the heads of the pea-gun shooters, nor to accompany him on his disconsolate walk home-a distance of no less than six miles; for the scene unfortunately took place on the opposite bank of the river to that where Ted's home was, and so retired was that locality, that no boat could be had along the coast, in which to cross the river; and the nearest bridge would make the distance a very long and tedious walk, particularly with heavy waterboots and thick double clothing, which the inclemency of the season had rendered necessary. Finding there was no prospect of his punt's returning, Ted set to, and walked home, when he threw himself on his bed, and slept as soundly as his rage and disappointment would admit; and next morning started off in a small boat, to look for his punt, which he found carefully anchored on the shore, some six or eight miles down the river. His gun had been fired apparently two or three times, judging from the diminished appearance of his powder and shot, and evidently with some effect, as there were feathers and blood-stains in the punt; but, without making any further ado about it, he towed his punt home, and endeavoured to forget and forgive the offenders, by giving the pea-gunners a wide berth on his future expeditions. (To be continued.)

A SERIES OF WRINKLES TO YOUNG ONES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS.

BY AN OLD MASTER OF HOUNDS AND OWNER OF RACE HORSES.

No. IV.-ON THE CONDITION OF MAN.

Much has been written, and well written, in your magazine by the late Mr. Apperley (as "Nimrod"), and by many others, on the condition of horses and of hounds. I do not remember that the condition of the rider of the one, and the follower of the other, has ever been the subject of the pen of any one of your correspondents.

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"The proper study of mankind is man,"

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purpose that it shall be so now with us: not in its abstruse, philosophical, anatomical, or its unfathomably religious sense, but

plainly and simply to give my young friends a few wrinkles which may conduce to their right good health, condition, and consequent enjoyment of life; as a man in or out of condition is just as different an animal, and comparatively as useful or as useless a one, as we all have found our horses and hounds to be.

To begin at the beginning, as the boy says, let fathers and mothers take especial heed that from earliest dawnhood they do all in their power to make their children natural, hearty, and happy, and consequently healthy. Eschew medicine, unless when required; and then never hesitate one moment to give instantly the simplest and the most efficacious, and the most moderate in quality and quantity, that will serve the purpose, and never wait till to-morrow morning, which is only "to be found in the fool's calendar.”

Also never quack your children, or attempt to administer other than the commonest medicines-such as castor-oil, senna, or Gregory's mixture; but stop the food of a child, and of every one, as soon as you see it unwell, and put it to bed, and keep it there, and send for your doctor, rather than fancy yourself clever enough to deal with illness; as almost every one, to which human beings are heirs, is to be got over if attended to at first; but if allowed to go ou, and considered nothing, will from a trifling beginning get beyond the relief of all the medical science in the world.

Have a good common-sense family doctor, who will pay attention when required, for on attention in illness everything depends. Pay him so much a year for attending all hands at all times, physic inclusive; you and all connected with you will be much less dosed, and the doctor much less often in the house.*

Give your children good plain, simple food. Porridge and milk, or milk alone, is an excellent thing for breakfast, and good homebaked bread, and especially brown bread, much better for children and for older boys and girls, alias men and women, than bakers' bread. But especially bring up your children not to care a rap about eating and drinking, and to do so with effect mind that you must not care about it yourself. Keep them in cool, but not cold, airy rooms-their sitting as well as their sleeping ones; and let them be as much out in the open air as possible: when they are well, indulging in healthful and amusing recreations suited to their age and temperament. I add when they are well; because though it is more or less true that young people should be out in all weathers, when unwell they should not be bundled out, especially if it be wet or damp. Dry air, however cold, never does harm to human being if in exercise, unless under illness; but damp drives the nail in the wrong direction, and unhinges, instead of screwing up, the human frame.

Also have occupation, and a satisfactory one, for young and old, for mind and body. Never forget that idleness is the mother of mischief, and, I may add, the bane of the wealthier classes.

Contrive without making a fuss about it, and without their being aware of it—that the pursuits as well as the amusements of your

* The Emperor of China, it may or may not be known, instead of paying his doctor as we do, when we are unwell, the instant he is taken ill he stops the pay of his physician, and does not renew it till he is quite well again; and a most sensible plan too, prevention being better than cure.

children all lead to health. Just as easy, indeed much easier, that they should do so; and no less so to be got at, and within reach.

every

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If in your power, bring your family up in the country, and let them partake of every innocent and rational country pursuit and sport within their reach; this will strengthen their bodies and invigorate their minds, as the intellect must have a good case to revolve in, or it will never be able to keep time with the pace of this world; and a man, to be half a good one, and be equal to half the duties of life, must start fair, without a weakly body to drag after him, or an enervated mind to misdirect his course. I may add, ventilate your house and all your rooms; admit the fresh, and let the foul air escape, and all its attendant impurities. It is a good plan to have a ventilator in the cupola or centre window of your house, open day and night. A friend of mine, and a doctor withal, once told me that he had accidentally a window-pane broken in the cupola of his house not mended all the winter, and he found that his children escaped colds the entire season; and the next one, when the whole was hermetically sealed, they were never without one; and which led him to adopt the simple plan of having in all large apartments where there were several people, especially children, a small aperture made into the open air or chimney, as high up as possible.

Ventilate also the lungs and bodies of your children, by having them constantly in the open air, be it ever so cold; if it be only dry cold, as I have said before, it will do no harm, if clad accordingly, and they do not come out of impure over-heated rooms, and are occupied in any healthful game or pursuit.

But I must not dwell, like an old hound, on the line, but get forward at once to the all-important starting-post, when the young one is entered at college, alias ushered neck and crop into the little worlds of Oxford or Cambridge. I was at neither, and must leave to others to describe more accurately than I can do, life at college; and from experience often too dearly bought, must beg some good-hearted old one, who has actually run the gauntlet and taken the soundings, to hoist the landmarks for young ones to steer their boats by, and give them a chance, at least, of avoiding the breakers and the quicksands against and in which so many good ones have unsuspectingly knocked their heads and stuck fast, and in double-quick time been irreparably damaged for life in person and in pocket.

I shall merely venture to give all my young friends a few quiet wrinkles and hints suited to the age of seventeen and eighteen; and these hints are only fashioned on the plain anvil of common sense, and tempered by the hand of experience; and whether their destiny be a college, a regiment, or a house of business, will apply alike to one and all of them.

Well! fancy my young friends seventeen or eighteen, full of life and spirits, and, let us hope, of health; for-do not despise the remark-there is no good, and most assuredly no fun, without it. Make no fuss, or bother any one about your health; but for your own sake preserve this precious gift of Heaven as the old Roman did his household gods, and do not throw it heedlessly away. It is very