296 THE YORKSHIRE FEN 



been longing to go in and beat the reeds, splashed in, 

 and in a minute a teal rose and flew low across the 

 meadow. He fell, and at the shot a second rose also ; 

 but wild, and I failed to get him. Then came a con- 

 tretemps. We had arrived at about the place where 

 the wounded duck had fallen, and after some hunting 

 in the reeds, which the furious wind was bending and 

 beating almost level with the water, the old dog 

 emerged with a splendid mallard in her mouth. The 

 bird was alive, and I had some difficulty in giving him 

 his quietus, which the dog took advantage of to hunt 

 down the stream on her own account. Turning round 

 to pick up my gun, I saw, for I could hear nothing for 

 the noise of the wind in the branches, first three and 

 then five duck rise and drift away before the wind. 

 Then the dog came sneaking back, looking ashamed of 

 herself, as she deserved. This brought us to the end of 

 the stream which we had been hunting, and we were 

 now upon the " carrs " themselves. Here, away from 

 the shelter of the belt of trees, the full force of the 

 gale was apparent ; and it seemed pretty certain that 

 any duck there might be there would be in the dykes 

 which ran at right angles to the direction of the wind, 

 and not in those which were swept lengthwise by its 

 full force. The main stream was that which bounded 

 the property, and was in most parts exposed, though 

 here and there was a bend which seemed worth trying. 

 Accordingly, I made directly across the " carr " to one of 

 these spots, tramping, with, my hands in my pockets 

 and head bent down, across the wet tussocky pastures, 



