THE FIETH OF FORTH. 13 



other game, wild-fowl have their fidgety moods, 

 sometimes without any apparent cause. This 

 morning, the eiders being shy and " fretty " on 

 water, we ran down to the islet of Fiddery, hoping 

 for a stalking-shot from the land. Although we 

 expected any feeding or resting fowl would be 

 moored in the sheltered bays, we first made sure 

 of the exposed shore with our glasses, and then 

 noiselessly and stealthily landed on it. Directly 

 opposite was a tiny bay a favourite haunt, with 

 the wind in the quarter in which it then was. 

 The approach was simple, and, to an experienced 

 shot, certain. When I got to the top of the rock 

 immediately above, as I expected, there were 

 about a dozen ducks and drakes diving and sport- 

 ing in joyous security. A sheer descent of seventy 

 yards rather cooled my eagerness to fire, well 

 knowing that even with my trusty "Boss" gun 

 this was a most uncertain shot. Choosing a fine 

 drake, I fired, and he lay motionless on the water ; 

 but my second shot was not so fortunate, as the 

 bird aimed at flew rapidly round the island with 

 the rest. 



The boatman soon fished up the dead bird, and 



