196 THE SWAN AND HER CREW. 



Dick passed it to him through the hedge, and Frank, taking 

 aim at two fine rabbits which happened to be in a line, shot 

 them dead. 



" I have had more pleasure in watching them than you have 

 had in shooting them, Frank," said Dick. 



It must not be thought that Dick was mawkishly sentimental, 

 but he had not the organ of destructiveness that Frank had, 

 and it was, as he said, quite as much sport to him to see and 

 watch birds and animals as to shoot them. Therefore, when 

 the others went flapper-shooting their order of going ranged in 

 this wise : 



Frank, armed with his double-barrelled muzzle-loader (for 

 breech-loaders had not yet come into general use), took one 

 side of the dyke, and Jimmy, with a single-barrel he had bought 

 second-hand, took the other side, while Dick took the punt 

 along the dyke ready to act the part of a retriever. 



It was one of those still, hot days when the distant woods 

 lie brooding in a blue haze. The labours of the breeding- 

 season over, the birds were resting silently, and there was no 

 sound but the monotonous hum of insect-life. On the. wide 

 marshes all objects were distorted by the quivering of the 

 evaporating moisture, and the long straight dykes and drains 

 gleamed back defiantly at the sun. Frank and Jimmy trudged 

 valiantly through the rustling flags and reeds by the water-side, 

 and Dick pulled the punt along a little behind them. 



" Shooting is no fun this weather," said Frank, stopping to 

 wipe the perspiration from his brow. 



Just then a wild-duck rose from the reeds, followed by half- 

 a-dozen young ones. They rose on Frank's side of the dyke, 

 so it was his turn to shoot. He dropped his hat and handker- 

 chief and fired, but in his hurry he missed with the first barrel, 

 and Jimmy, fearing they might escape, let off his big single, 

 and one of the young ducks fell to the ground with a flop 

 which told how fat he was. Frank winged another with his 

 second barrel, and it fell into the water, where it was despatched 

 by a third snot from Jimmy, who had hastily loaded. The 

 old duck flew far away, but the young ones only flew short 

 distances, and then settled on the dyke and hid in the reeds, 

 one here and another there ; and then for an hour or so they 

 had good sport beating about the dykes, and flushing them one 

 by one until they had disposed of the whole brood. 



