LONGSHORE MEMORIES 
One great pole in the mid distance, which serves as a 
guide for those at sea, towers up, clear from all. All 
is quiet ; only a few bats skim over the reeds, just 
touching the water now and again with their leathery 
wings, and making small circles of light in the shadowy 
portions of it. A pair of marsh owls skim over, shoot 
up in the air, dart over the reeds, and vanish again 
with hawk-like speed. 
From out of one of the dykes that lead into the 
long watercourse a fowling punt glides like a shadow. 
' Flappers ' are about, and this is their time for com- 
ing out of the reeds on to the water. Two young 
fowlers are in the punt ; one is in front with the long 
gun, the other paddles her noiselessly along, the 
ripples in her wake showing like dull red waves of 
colour. The punt glides on, and, with the exception 
of a coot that clanks now and again, or the croaking 
of a rail as he slips into the reeds and sedges, all is 
still. A few owls on the hunt sweep along over the 
water, and into the marsh and back again ; but as yet 
no ducks show themselves, so the punt steals on. Just 
before it reaches a bend, the soft spattering sound of 
ducks nozzling in soppy weed is faintly heard. Very 
gently the punt is brought over to the other side, into 
deep shadow ; then her head is turned towards the 
point whence the sound comes, and there are visible 
