The Wild-Fowlers 13 



than ever and peering through the tall 

 grasses that lined the cozy hiding-place, 

 as his companion proudly imitated the 

 movement, " and we must prepare to 

 make the most of the situation. Now, 

 boy, don't shoot into the body of the 

 flock, nor at the leader birds, else you 

 frighten the whole flock and thus ruin our 

 sport for the day. Let the great cloud 

 of birds go by and then pick two of the 

 last bunch. I will fire after you have 

 given trigger. If we shoot at the fowl in 

 the front, all those that follow will leave 

 this part of the bay. The flock will not 

 be bunched. The birds string out in a 

 line a mile or more long and pass in small 

 bunches. You '11 become excited and 

 want to shoot at the leader bunch, but 

 don't do it; restrain yourself; our day '11 

 be better for it. The brant will get up 

 first, circle in the air, and tail along with 

 the last birds to take wing. All of the 

 blackduck will come head on, bangety- 

 bang into our decoys, and a lot of them 



