1 8 The Wild-Fowlers 



but never near by, and with a low but 

 steady drifting with the general flight. 



' The last birds are too far out, Peri- 

 tus," cried the Doctor, " so take you this 

 right broadbill coming in the bunch of 

 five! Hold a little ahead they are not 

 swiftly going ignore the bunch and pull 

 with your gun in motion! Then with 

 your second barrel take you the first of 

 the blackduck that rises from the decoys. 

 Do not mind me. A foot ahead will do 

 on the broadbill ! Mark him well, steady 

 now, there ! let drive, boy ! He 's yours ! ' ' 



Peritus fired, a foot ahead, as his com- 

 panion ordered, and the fowl keeled over, 

 killed quite dead, and splashed into the 

 water, driving the spray three feet into 

 the air, and wetting the decoys with a 

 sparkling shower. Then, rapidly swing- 

 ing the gun to the left, the young fowler 

 gave trigger at a towering blackduck, but 

 missed the bird by a full half foot, shoot- 

 ing under and too far to the left. 



The Doctor scored a double, a couple 



