198 TOM DRAW'S VISIT TO PINE BROOK. 



heard a shot across the road, and saw the fifth bird fall to Harry 

 at long distance, while Shot was gently mouthing Draw's se- 

 cond duck, to his unutterable contentment. We had some 

 trouble in gathering the other, for it was merely body-shot, and 

 that not mortally, so that it dived like a 6sh, bothering poor 

 Chase beyond expression. This done, we re-united our forces, 

 and instantly proceeded to the big meadow, which we found, as 

 Harry had anticipated, in the most perfect possible condition 

 the grass was short, and of a delicate and tender green, not above 

 ankle deep, with a rich close black mould, moist and soft enough 

 for boring everywhere, under foot with, at rare intervals, a 

 slank, as it is termed in Jersey, or hollow winding course, in 

 which the waters have lain longer than elsewhere, covered with 

 a deep, rust-colored scum, floating upon the stagnant pools. We 

 had not walked ten yards before a bird jumped up to my left 

 hand, which I cut down and while I was in the act of loading, 

 another and another rose, but scarcely cleared the grass ere the 

 unerring shot of my two stanch companions had stopped their 

 flight forever. Some ten yards from the spot on which my bird 

 had fallen, lay one of these wet slanks which I have mentioned 

 Chase drew on the dead bird and pointed another fluttered 

 up under his very nose, dodged three or four yards to and fro, 

 and before I could draw my trigger, greatly to my surprise, 

 spread out his wings and settled. Harry and Tom had seen 

 the move, and walked up to join me ; just as they came Chase 

 retrieved the snipe I had shot, and when I had entombed it in 

 my pocket, we moved on all abreast. Skeap ! skeap ! skeap ! 

 Up they jumped, not six yards from our feet, positively in a 

 flock, their bright white bellies glancing in the sun, twenty at 

 least in number Six barrels were discharged, and six birds fell ; 

 we loaded and moved on, the dogs drawing at every step, back- 

 ing and pointing, so foiled was the ground with the close scent ; 

 again, before we had gathered the fruit of our first volley, a 

 dozen birds rose altogether ; again six barrels bellowed across 

 the plain, and again Tom and Harry slew their shots right and 

 left, while I, alas ! shooting too quick, missed one ! I know 

 what I aver will hardly be believed, but it is true, notwithstand- 

 ing ; a third time the same thing happened, except that instead 

 of twelve, thirty or forty birds rose at the least, six of which came 

 again to earth, within, at farthest, thirty paces making an 

 aggregate of eighteen shots, fired in less, assuredly, than so 

 many minutes, and seventeen birds fairly brought to bag. These 



