124 The Wild-Fowlers 



yer in th' machine yer teh lay flat on yer 

 back with yer head by the anchor end on 

 th' little air pillar, but low down, and yer 

 feets straight out close up agin th' big 

 weight at th' tother end. Don' show yer- 

 self, on'y w'en yer raise teh a settin' persi- 

 tion teh shoot, an' don' rise up till yer 

 well see th' full eyes o' th' birds. Haf 

 th' men es gits in th' machine firs' rises up 

 all-firen too soon, afore th' birds ere 

 within two hundred yards. Th' lin' o' 

 sight on th' water be awful deceivin' 

 makes th' birds look three times es near 

 es they really be. Jes yer lay right down 

 an' keep calm; hev yer gun over yer feet 

 with th' barrels a restin' 'bout over yer 

 lef ankle, an' th' muzzle ends fer certain 

 sure a stickin' clean out o' range o' th' 

 sides o' th' box, les yer gun goes off acci- 

 den' an' blows a hole es big es yer neck in 

 th' sides er the bottom, which I says is 

 more 'n likely teh sink th' machine, and 

 while yer 'd suffer no more 'n a good 

 wettin' es there beant enough water 



