THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER 191 



den, and shooting them as they come in from 

 the flooded lower levels. As you arrive you 

 cast a glance along the mud and ooze, and see- 

 ing nothing, turn away. Just then a slight 

 motion catches your eye and what had seemed 

 a small lump of mud suddenly changes into a 

 very lively little bird, bobbing and bowing at 

 you very politely and not more than twenty 

 yards away. Now he extends his wings up- 

 ward to their full spread and jets his tail as he 

 runs nimbly along, then one downward stroke 

 of his pinions and he rises lightly from the 

 ground and skims away just above the surface 

 of the pool. Perhaps he is a young bird or has 

 been but little disturbed and so knows not the 

 danger of his situation, in which case he may go 

 ten yards and alight again to gaze with curi- 

 ous eyes. There is scarcely another bird which 

 flies with so little apparent effort. His strokes 

 are slow and regular, a short sailing between 

 each motion, but he moves very fast. Let him 

 be alarmed and he will quicken his speed until 

 he seems only a black streak in the air, and as 

 he rises to top the surrounding trees it needs 

 good and quick work with the gun to stop him. 

 Start him up suddenly and he dashes from the 



