hile the Stag's pointed outwards, right
and left. Now these were personal questions that he had no business to
put, and indeed would not have put if he had been _quite_ a gentleman.
But before the Hind could answer (for she had to think how she should
snub him without hurting his feelings _too_ much) he went on:

"And by the way, talking of dew-claws I don't think I have ever showed
you my spurs." And round he turned to display them. "You will agree
with me, I think," he continued, "that they are a particularly fine
pair, in fact I may say the finest that you are ever likely to see."

And certainly they were very big for a pheasant, more than half an
inch long, curved upward and sharp as a thorn. "I find them very
useful," he added, "to keep my subjects of this wood in order. When
the Chinese Cocks first invaded my kingdom they were inclined to be
rebellious against my authority, but now I am happy to say that they
know better." And he strutted about looking very important indeed.

Now about a week after this there was a full moon, and there came
flying into the wood a number of Woodcocks. The Deer thought nothing
of it, for they had often seen as many, and were always delighted to
watch the little brown birds digging in the soft ground and washing
their beaks in the water. But on the second morning after their
arrival a Jay came flying over their heads, screeching at the top of
his voice that there were strangers in the covert, and presently the
old Cock-Pheasant came running up in a terrible fluster, not at all
like the king of a wood.

"It's too bad," he said, "too bad. They have been here twice already,
and they have no business to come again." And as he spoke there came
the sound which they had once heard before, the pop! pop! of a
double-barrelled gun, but this time much nearer to them, and much more
alarming. The Stag jumped to his feet at once and called to the Hind
to come away.

"But you can't get away," said the old Pheasant, half angry, but
almost ready to cry. "I have already tried to run out in half a dozen
places, but wherever I went I met an odious imp of a Boy tapping two
sticks together; and really a Boy tapping two sticks together is more
than I can face. How I hate little Boys! But I won't stand it. I'll
run back through the middle of them, and then I declare that I'll
never enter this wood again. It's really past all bearing."

And he turned and ran back, but soon came forward again. "It's no