142 GUNNERS FROM BANFF. CHAP. vm. 



proved a wet and windy night, but daylight brought 

 with it a fine morning. With it also came two 

 gunners from Banff, striding along the beach on a 

 shooting excursion. This vexed me to the very heart. 

 The birds were not yet astir, but I knew they would 

 rise at the approach of the men, who would doubtless 

 attempt to shoot them. Just as I anticipated, up 

 went the birds ; crack, crack went the shots ; and 

 down fell several birds. Eising from my stony 

 couch, I rushed at once to the spot to see the victims, 

 and found them all to consist of sanderlings, dunlins, 

 and one ringed plover. The gunners were strangers 

 to me, but I ventured to ask them to abstain from 

 firing until I had satisfied myself about the bird I 

 sought ; but they seemed unable to understand why 

 one bird could be of more interest than another, and 

 they told me that, as there were plenty of them, I 

 could fire away, and take my chance. I declined to 

 shoot with them, but eagerly watched each time they 

 fired, and if a bird fell I went and examined it ; but 

 I did not meet with the one I sought. The men at 

 last got tired, and went away. 



" It was now my turn ; but unhappily the birds, 

 from being so often fired at, had become extremely 

 shy, so that to get near them for my purpose 

 was all but impossible. By perseverance, however, 

 I at length made out one, as I thought, a good deal 

 smaller than the others. I succeeded in creeping a 

 little nearer. They rose ; I fired, and down fell four. 



