The Wild-Fowlers 125 



here to drown a man th' acciden' 'd end 

 th' day's fun, fer So, so! Git down, 

 Mister Fieldin' ! There be two brents 

 a-comin' straight along, an* it 's a more 'n 

 likely es they won't see us in this gray 

 light afore they be well up git close 

 down, mebbe yer can hit one be yer 

 loaded ? Nope, their eyes be too good ; 

 they hev turned an' won't com' aroun' 

 again a little bit now. Ef yer hed a-bin* 

 in th' box, yer might hev got thet leader 

 bird ; but never mind, yer '11 git a share o' 

 good sport afore yer long in th' ma- 

 chine." 



Here the dingy's side touched the 

 folded canvas stretcher of the battery, 

 and the Captain told Seth to step lightly 

 with the right foot into the very centre of 

 the zincked box, balance carefully, and 

 then draw the other foot in. This the 

 young man did as nicely as the bayman 

 could have wished, and the old fellow ac- 

 knowledged as much. 



" Now, sir," said Grieb, " take yer box 



