WILSON'S SNIPE 141 



At this you beat up tlie grass in front and on 

 either side, quartering in all directions, but still 

 no Snipe, and in wonder and disgust you are 

 tempted to give it up, your faith in your favor- 

 ite sorely shaken. But the dog stands firm, and 

 just here you plunge thigh deep into a hidden 

 drain-hole. ''Seaipe! Scaipe!" Up between 

 your feet with startled squeak springs the ob- 

 ject of your search. Away like a streak the lit- 

 tle gray imp goes, darting, dodging and zig- 

 zagging, now right, now left, and all the time 

 adding to the distance between himself and the 

 threatening danger. You wrench yourself up 

 to the solid ground with a desperate effort and 

 pull yourself together, for it will never do now 

 to let him get away unscathed, and when by 

 some unaccountable accident you 



''Hustle him down wi' a slug in his wing," 

 (for they do sometimes blunder into a charge 

 of shot), before he is added to the collection in 

 your game bag let us look at his markings and 

 peculiarities. The pup has retrieved him beau- 

 tifully, sitting up to deliver the prize into your 

 hand with scarcely a feather ruffled. You han- 

 dle him with much satisfaction for he is a good 

 bird and you feel that you have fairly earned 



