THE WIGEON AND POCHARDS 265 



good shot will sometimes miss clean ; and indeed it 

 would be a bit rough on fowl generally if his shots 

 invariably told. The duffer, strange to say, never 

 misses. Such at least is the tale he tells his friends, 

 and they spread the story after he has shown them 

 the fowl he has, in reality, bought. 



Some folks I know have been under the impres- 

 sion that in order to have good sport among the 

 fowl it is only necessary to read up on the subject, 

 take a double punt and engage one of the numerous 

 water-side dwellers to pilot them ; and those who 

 have availed themselves of the means just referred 

 to have been rowed up and down dirty, stinking 

 channels, which, but they did not know it, were only 

 used for coal-barges. They had paid well, but to 

 my knowledge they never got so much as a Dunlin 

 (Ox-bird). However, the Munchausen yarns that 

 were told them about fowl, to keep them from shiver- 

 ing, were really worth the money. Of course the man 

 who rowed them up and down was warm enough, 

 and the lookers-on from the sea-wall kept themselves 

 warm by laughing. When the amateur fowlers got 

 on shore for comfort, how kindly did that party on 

 the wall condole with them and offer advice, being 

 in return generously " liquored up." 



" If they would only stop to flight-time (the dusk), 

 they would drive some over to them." 



The victims believed these promises and did stay, 

 and the lookers-on laughed more than ever. The 

 fowl did not show and the cold was bitter. Once 

 more they got on shore, called for something 



