with a beautifully kept garden, the road took a
sudden turn and brought us to some parkish-looking well-timbered ground
in front, at one side of which Jorrocks saw something that he swore was
a kennel.

"I knows a hawk from a hand-saw," said he, "let me alone for that. I'll
swear there are hounds in it. Bless your heart, don't I see a gilt fox
on one end, and a gilt hare on the other?"

Just then came up a man in a round fustian jacket, to whom Jorrocks
addressed himself, and, as good luck would have it, he turned out to be
the huntsman (for Jorrocks was right about the kennel), and away we went
to look at the hounds. They proved to be Mr. Collard's, the owner of
the house that we had just passed, and were really a very nice pack of
harriers, consisting of seventeen or eighteen couple, kept in better
style (as far as kennel appearance goes) than three-fourths of the
harriers in England. Bird, the huntsman, our cicerone, seemed a regular
keen one in hunting matters, and Jorrocks and he had a long confab about
the "noble art of hunting," though the former was rather mortified to
find on announcing himself as the "celebrated Mr. Jorrocks" that Bird
had never heard of him before.

After leaving the kennel we struck across a few fields, and soon found
ourselves on the sea banks, along which we proceeded at the rate of
about two miles an hour, until we came to the old church of Reculvers.
Hard by is a public-house, the sign of the "Two Sisters," where, having
each taken a couple of glasses of ale, we proceeded to enjoy one of the
(to me at least) greatest luxuries in life--viz. that of lying on the
shingle of the beach with my heels just at the water's edge.

The day was intensely hot, and after occupying this position for about
half an hour, and finding the "perpendicular rays of the sun" rather
fiercer than agreeable, we followed the example of a flock of sheep, and
availed ourselves of the shade afforded by the Reculvers. Here for a
short distance along the beach, on both sides, are small breakwaters,
and immediately below the Reculvers is one formed of stake and matting,
capable of holding two persons sofa fashion. Into this Jorrocks and
I crept, the tide being at that particular point that enabled us to
repose, with the water lashing our cradle on both sides, without dashing
high enough to wet us.

"Oh, but this is fine!" said J----, dangling his arm over the side, and
letting the sea wash against his hand. "I decl