SNIPE-SHOOTING. 7 



to the season which would bring back the teal and the 

 snipe. 



At last they came, and their first appearance nearly 

 caused my death. It was in this way. One of our 

 ways of killing time that summer was to drive out 

 to some neighbouring cinnamon estates, to shoot green 

 pigeons. These beautiful birds abounded in the 

 cinnamon bushes and jak-trees, and used to give a 

 certain amount of sport. One evening in the late 

 autumn two of us were out at this place, and one of 

 us shot a pigeon. At the report of the gun a wisp of 

 birds rose in a marshy bit close to and settled just a 

 little further on. 



" Snipe ! " we both cried with delight, and without a 

 word more dashed into the marsh. I must now 

 explain that though it has been my invariable rule in 

 the tropics to shoot in " Field " boots, on this occasion, 

 as I did not expect to leave the estate paths, which 

 were well kept, I only had knickerbockers, stockings, 

 and low shoes. Of course in a climate where the 

 thermometer never goes as low as 73, wet feet didn't 

 signify. 



I think one snipe had been shot, but by whom I 

 forget. We were pressing on with guns ready and 

 eyes fixed ahead, when something drew my attention 

 to a tussock of swamp grass on which I was about to 

 step. There, disturbed by my arrival, and with hood 

 half extended, was a huge cobra-di-capello. Without 

 waiting to put my gun to the shoulder, I fired from the 

 hip and blew his head off. It was only then I realised 

 the horrible risk I had run. If I had not providentially 



