Snipe. 33 



dog and I crouched in silence. If ever terror, 

 superstitious terror, was visible in an animal's 

 face, it was upon that of that small spaniel ! 

 Flat went his tail ; and as the light grew, I 

 could see his eyes rolling almost inside out, 

 whilst he whimpered and chattered his teeth 

 so loudly that, shaking with suppressed 

 laughter myself, I was forced to hold his 

 muzzle to prevent his alarming the duck, 

 which I knew were floating silently but alert 

 on the mere just glinting close ahead. Such 

 a chorus of snipe I had never heard myself ; 

 it seemed as if the roar rising and falling 

 must be heard for ten miles. Apparently 

 it sounded the morning bugle for the duck, 

 at any rate, for soon, easily distinguishable 

 amidst the humming overhead, came the 

 rapid fanning of heavy wings, and a little 

 clump of fowl coming like shadows, so de- 

 parted into the gloom before I could grasp 

 my gun. A pause, and another drift of birds. 

 Crash ! went the 8-bore, thump ! thump ! a 

 brace of two-pound mallard fell like projec- 

 tiles ; the drumming of the snipe ceased like 



