246 Sporting Sketches 



and again as the cut wing refused to perform. The 

 last bounce carried the snipe into a pool, across which 

 it swam smartly, then ran into the grass, where I 

 presently found it. Then we proceeded to enjoy 

 one of those bits of flawless snipe-shooting which 

 reward Northern Nimrods who chance upon good 

 ground at the proper times. Thompson kept cutting 

 down his birds in a fashion which suggested an entire 

 ignorance of the art of missing, while I hammered 

 away, the keener and quicker because I knew what 

 the end would be, but was bound to make an even 

 race of it as long as possible. 



Not seldom three and four birds flushed in rapid 

 succession, those unshot at sweeping back to the 

 ground first covered, which guaranteed plenty of 

 sport for the return. At a point some half a mile 

 away from the start, Thompson halted and pushed 

 back his cord cap. " Guess we're far enough for the 

 first trial ; this mud's no joke to a heavyweight," he 

 panted. " How many have you ? I've got twenty- 

 four." In my coat lay nineteen, and I feel free to 

 say that the united straight string meant rare good 

 work by two men. Needless to say it was not to be 

 expected upon many days, for no man has a license 

 to average more than three-fourths of even his 

 favorite birds the season through. I always count 

 my shells, because I want to know exactly how I 

 am shooting, and it's simply wonderful the way a 

 fellow will forget a miss here and there unless he 

 has some sort of check on his work. Old sports- 

 men are too wise to worry over misses ; in fact they 

 don't care anything about them, but they do like to 

 know their true form each day. It's astonishing 



