POINT SHOOTING. 393 



generally doing all in their power to preserve the shoot- 

 ing. These men are farmers in summertime, but 

 during the winter are glad to earn what they can by 

 watching the marshes; for this is a steady job, which 

 pays much better than fishing or gunning. They are 

 most of them old gunners, familiar from childhood with 

 these waters and their islands, and with all the ways of 

 the wildfowl. Constantly on the marsh and on the 

 water, they know just where the ducks are "using," 

 and what are likely to be the best shooting points on 

 any given day. They are thus always consulted by the 

 men who are going to shoot on the marshes under their 

 charge, and their advice is usually taken. 



The life of these watchmen is a lonely one. For six 

 days in the week they live on the marshes in little 

 houses built for them in the fall, but on Saturday 

 afternoons they report at the club and then go to the 

 mainland to spend Sunday with their families. Lead- 

 ing such a life, the watchman is delighted when one 

 of the club members comes to shoot on the marsh under 

 his charge, and often he spends most of the day with 

 the gunner, helping his boatman to tie out and take up, 

 assisting in retrieving the birds killed, and during the 

 quiet times sitting in the cane with the boatman and 

 gossiping. Some of them are silent men, but others are 

 great talkers. 



The subjects which the two discuss are varied. Of 

 course the ducks and their actions are a fruitful theme, 

 but home matters claim a good share of attention ; the 

 recent social events on the mainland, the last sermon 



