2 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



enumeration ; however, he always devised some means 

 of counteracting them viz., by stuffing cotton in his 

 ears, not to hear the spring of the game ! to wear a 

 loose collar, so that he could the better and more 

 rapidly bring the head to the stock; to discard a 

 waistcoat, for the thickness of clothing militated 

 against bringing up his gun. However, he was always 

 wounding birds at least he said so ; for constantly, if 

 near, he would call out, " Don't you see the feathers 

 fly?" which, perhaps owing to my less keen vision, I 

 never did, save it were the feathers flying off with the 

 bird. Another peculiarity this gentleman possessed 

 was, that although he might have discharged the entire 

 contents of his shot-pouch without bagging a single 

 head, when separated from me, as soon as we both shot 

 over the same point, one or other of the birds knocked 

 down was due to his skill ; doubtless companionship 

 reassured him, or induced him to take more pains. I 

 would advise such, therefore, always to shoot in com- 

 pany, only I would rather be excused becoming the 

 company. Of course occasionally he would knock over 

 a bird, but when this took place it either was lost or 

 took no end of trouble to secure. I remember one 

 instance in a marsh where we were snipe-shooting, a 

 number of mallards flushed within easy range ; follow- 

 ing the report of his gun, one of the greenheads left 

 its companions, sailed round several times, each circle 

 becoming lower and less contracted, till it dropped. 

 Half-an-hour was fruitlessly wasted looking for it, my 

 friend would not give up the search, so I went forward 

 alone; some time afterwards he joined .me, but his 

 perseverance had not been rewarded. All that day he 

 lamented over this lost bird, for, like many of our 



