Most of them were got back, but one or two wandered beyond trace.

Those who had guns were naturally on the look-out; indeed, a regular hunt was got up--'Willum,' then young and active, in it of course.

This chase was not successful; but early one morning, going to look for wild geese in the water-meadow with his long-barrelled gun, he saw something in a lonely rickyard.

Creeping cautiously up, he rested the heavy gun on an ash stole, and the big duck-shot tore its way into the stag's shoulder.

Those days were gone, but still his interest in shooting was unabated.
Nothing had been altered on the place since he was a boy: the rent even was the same.