Ubc TCcv. Militant JBarftcr S)aniet 123 



or return at night, in spite of all obstacles. As a 

 marksman he was extraordinarily expert ; with a gun 

 upwards of six feet in the barrel, and that placed in 

 its stock by the village carpenter, and altogether of a 

 weight which none but the most powerful arm could 

 extend and elevate, would he kill a snipe flying. 

 Before exhibiting this proof of dexterity he usually 

 requested to be supplied with a fresh charge, in lieu 

 of what he threw away (as he termed it) after so 

 worthless a bird : the charge of this demi-culverin 

 was two pipes and a half of powder and three of 

 shot, and the wadding was a little dry sedge, of which 

 he always took a whisp in the punt. At wild fowl, 

 either single or in trips, he was a fatal shot ; from 

 long habit his eye and ear were both singularly keen 

 at the approach of wild fowl in their flight, and his 

 gun generally verified the truth of this observation, 

 when fired at them in the twilight, or in the fogs ; 

 and for the most part his caution to look out at the 

 coming of the birds was so exact, that no person 

 could well complain of want of shots, if they obeyed 

 his directions ; his knowledge (either from the wind, or 

 from some other cause) in seeing the wild-fowl fly, to 

 what particular spot they would direct their course, was 

 accurate, and his punt was certain to be either in a 

 direction to intercept them in their flight, or to be 

 concealed in the reeds close to where they assembled 

 to feed at eve or morning. Old Merry had not been 

 much troubled with education ; rude as the country 

 in which his occupation lay, he possessed, perhaps 

 like that, materials which would have received and 



