198 RAIL-SHOOTING. 
push, and the heavy swell from the broad river, roll- 
ing in a long distance among the reeds, added a new 
motion to their natural unsteadiness. 
Of course the sport was not encouraging, and the 
accidents were numerous ; several sportsmen fell over- 
board, one upset his boat, and my man came so near 
it—his pole slipping at the moment he was exerting 
his utmost strength upon it—that his efforts to re- 
cover his balance reminded me of dancing the horn- 
pipe in a state of frenzy. He kicked up more capers, 
and indulged in more contortions on the little plat- 
form, scarcely a foot square, which he occupied, than 
I supposed possible without dislocation of a limb; 
but he managed, however, to regain his equilibrium, 
and neither fell overboard nor upset the skiff. 
These little incidents, and the shooting, such as it 
was, kept the party, which was numerous, interested 
until the time came for recrossing the river to our 
hotel. There was no stopping-place on our present 
side of the river, which presented one apparently 
endless view of waving reeds; and the alternative 
was simply to cross the open river, or pass the night 
in our boats. The swell had increased into high 
waves capped with snowy foam, and threatened de- 
struction to our low-sided, short, and narrow boats. 
Many were the consultations between the various 
punters, and grave were the doubts expressed of a 
safe crossing; but as there was no help for it, the 
trial had to be made. 
Selections were chosen of favorable starting-points, 
and most of the party put out at about the same 
