CONTRASTS IN WILDFOWLING 413 



best chance of scoring-, so we went afloat on a quarter- 

 flood, at five in the morning-, in hopes of getting- a shot at 

 the ducks before they went to sea at daybreak. The 

 night at that hour was bright and calm : starlight and a 

 third-quarter moon affording quite sufficient light for a 

 shot to the westward. There were some miles to "pole" 

 before reaching the zostera-covered mud-flats ; and, ere 

 we reached our destination, a most unfortunate change 

 came over the night, which completely altered our 

 prospects and reduced the chance of success to zero. 

 About half-past five we noticed a slight haze beginning 

 to rise off the water, which rapidly increased in density. 

 Spreading over the face of the heavens, in half-an-hour it 

 obscured moon and stars, and enveloped us in hopeless 

 darkness. We were now in the best of the feeding- 

 grounds, and heard around us at intervals the enticing 

 " talk " of mallard and wigeon, and anon the strange hoarse 

 bark of the sheld-duck. But not a fowl could we see. 

 Helplessly we groped about amidst Cimmerian darkness, 

 while the coveted prizes were in evidence all around. 



About the period when (by the almanac) daylight 

 should have appeared, we heard the clanging chorus of 

 geese arriving in from sea, and presently made out a 

 " bunch " of a score or so, an indistinct line of grey on the 

 grey water some 200 yards ahead. Geese are dullish 

 fowl in the dark; so we "set" to these with renewed 

 hopes. Dusky as it was, however, the geese were fully 

 on the alert, for they rose almost immediately, and, 

 though I risked a long shot, it was not responded to. We 

 observed, however, that a single goose lagged considerably 

 behind. This shot was disappointing, we having counted 

 on securing a couple or more. The elevation and instant 

 of firing were, 1 knew, both correct ; but in the fog the 



