MORE ABOUT FOWLING ON LONGSHORE. 281 



mad. Hark to 'em." Their cries were plainly 

 enough to be heard ; some of them were passing 

 directly overhead, making for the tide. It was 

 just what I wanted. There was no moon, but 

 after the gale the sky was perfectly clear, a deep 

 blue, with the stars twinkling merrily ; one of those 

 nights on which you can see things in the distance 

 more plainly than when it is bright moonlight. 



Telling my kind host that I should not be home 

 before morning, I caught up my gun and made 

 for where my friends were waiting for me. Before 

 I reached the door, however, my host's daughter 

 suggested that, if I must go, I had better leave 

 my gun at home, for the beach-hills were dangerous 

 to travel through after a storm. I hesitated for one 

 moment, then went back and placed it in the gun- 

 rack, and bidding her a hearty good night I dashed 

 out into the darkness ; for, to confess the truth, I 

 feared lest I might be persuaded to stop where I 

 was. 



" Where's your gun ? " was the first question. 



" I left it in the gun-rack." 



" Ah yes ; somebody as we won't mention asked 

 ye to leave it, for fear you'd shoot yourself in the 



