138 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
a gunning-punt—it is not a practice to be encouraged. If 
caught in a squall with a big gun aboard, draw it in and lash 
it to the ring-bolts fixed fore and aft of the cockpit floor. 
Should the squall become too bad to hope to stick any longer 
to the gun, the gun-float (a thing which should always be 
carried—a copper cylinder, three inches diameter and eight 
inches long, with thirty yards of strong cord) should be 
attached to the grapnel, the line from the latter to a trunnion 
of the gun or some arranged and convenient loop, and the 
gun quietly slid, breech end first, astern. All this can be seen 
to by the puntsman while the gunner keeps the punt head to 
sea. We are speaking of double punts, for no other, as a rule, 
will venture far on open waters. Although it is hard lines to 
part with valuable articles, they count as naught compared 
with human life. The gun, by grappling, can be retrieved 
with a boat, if you live to tell where it lies. 
Never lift a big gun with a punt. Punts are too light 
for such work. Personally we regret to state that it has 
twice been our fate to part with the big gun; but on the 
worst occasion the tide receded below the spot where we 
so gently, yet timidly, deposited the gun to save our lives. 
If a punt is swamped on an incoming tidal shore, and you 
intend to stick to her, first get the big gun out; then she 
will float better. All oars, hand-guns, seats, poles, etc., 
must be stowed under the fore-deck. The oars and poles 
will assist to float her. Unless this is done half your gear 
will float, and you will lose it. A light mooring line of 
about six fathoms should always be carried. Attach this 
to the towing line and tow her in as the tide lifts her. If 
the ground is muddy and soft stand in the punt and bale 
the water out of her. She will wash in. A well-made large 
punt will float full of water. We have seen a punt broken 
and completely waterlogged float and carry her big gun 
(150 lb.), but she laboured heavily, and sank and rose several 
