THE COMMON DOTTEREL. 237 



wad pass me, but I couldna tell them frae 

 ithers." 



A laugh with, or at, old Donald cheered us for 

 a look through the last two fields. Only three- 

 quarters of an hour now remained if I wished to 

 catch the afternoon return-train, and we had gone 

 over one field, and half the other, when the young 

 watcher halted and listened. I was instantly on 

 my guard, and heard for the first time in my life 

 the "twit, twit, twit" of the dotterel, and soon 

 the company of twelve careered overhead at a 

 great height. Contracting and lowering their 

 circles, they darted out of sight behind a knoll, 

 and we now felt sure they were snugly grounded 

 in the same field with ourselves. 



The youngest assistant was on my left when 

 we began the search, which we had scarcely done, 

 when, only a gunshot beyond him, he discovered 

 the flock. A halt and sign brought me to his 

 side. Next me stood a brilliant male, and the 

 rest, a good deal scattered, were beyond him. 

 Getting the old cock in line with as many as 

 possible, I fired a raking charge out of my heavy 

 duck-gun. He lay dead, as well as a couple of 



