SNIPE-SHOOTING. 115 



going away, scaipe, scaipe, scaipe, scaipe, as who should 

 say, " deuce take the hindmost," to the north-westward, 

 ever as they flew and squeaked, calling up fresh legions 

 over the wide flat, until there must have been above a 

 hundred snipe in the air at once. 



At these, Charley did his work well, keeling a brace 

 over, very neatly, one of which fell within a yard of 

 Bob's nose, who had gone down to charge without being 

 bidden, the moment the report of the first shot followed 

 the flash. The steady dog snuffed a little, and wagged 

 his tail, but did not stir, though to increase the tempta- 

 tion, the snipe, which was only wing-tipped, after turn- 

 ing some twenty consecutive somersaults under his nose, 

 made several ineffectual efforts to rise, springing four or 

 five feet into the air, and screaming " scaf/pe" a qui mieux. 



" "Wonderfully steady, indeed !" said Charley, in pro- 

 found admiration wonderfully steady. But that was a 

 slashing shot of yours, that first one, Harry." 



" Yes ! it was some, as Bill Porter would say. I 

 wanted to kill that chap for the dog's sake, and would 

 not have missed him for a trifle. I had no idea there 

 were such a lot of them lying all around us. I never 

 saw so many birds on the ground in my life ; if it were 

 a still, warm day, we should have rare sport. As it is, 

 we will make out a bag. All this has turned out capi- 

 tally. I would not be surprised, if you will give me five 

 minutes to work the dogs after my own fashion, to see 

 them stand the next bird, after we have retrieved these." 



