272 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



sale enough. Many that were winged, or other- 

 wise wounded escaped for the time, only to meet 

 a worse fate. What that was we shall see 

 directly. More than once the engineer of all 

 this mischief was well-nigh "hoist with his own 

 petard." One night the gun broke loose, pinning 

 him to the bottom of the punt, and for awhile 

 he seemed in hopeless plight. When at length he 

 managed to free himself, he did not stay to collect 

 the dead. 



Of course he was not poaching, since the birds 

 were not game, but only of the plebeian sort ; nor 

 trespassing, for the waters were not preserved ; 

 nor breaking any human law, for it was not close 

 time. It was only the man's rough way of 

 shooting. The best traditions of sport pass down 

 another channel, and miss him out. 



The head and front of his offending was that 

 he took the full advantage of his liberty, and 

 went the nearest way to his end, undeterred by 

 any sentiment. Let us hope that those who 

 know better never transgress in a similar way ; 

 never seek a big bag, irrespective of the means by 

 which it is filled ; never have drives or battues ; 

 never forget that wild creatures should have 

 fair play; and that shooting is no longer sport, 



