94 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



your eyes to-day, I am mistaken. But here we are at 

 the marsh. Jump out, put about forty shells in your 

 pocket, and after unhitching the horse, so he can't 

 break anything, we will be off." 



This is a beautiful day. Just my idea of the kind 

 for good snipe shooting. The sun beats down warm ; 

 the wind is blowing fresh and strong from the south, 

 and we ought to get splendid sport. Look at Don ! 

 How he eyes us with keen intelligence, as if he would 

 read our inmost thoughts." 



Ned glanced carelessly at the dog, and replied 



" Do you know, Will, what my idea of a good snipe 

 day was ? A day cold and raw ; with clouds flying, and 

 the winds blowing a gale from the north or north-west. 

 I thought that on such a day, they would dislike to fly, 

 and would lie so close that one could almost kick them 

 out. Now, you have upset my theory, and as I told 

 you, I am a tender-foot in snipe shooting, please explain 

 where I am wrong." 



" Well, one might say the actions of snipe seem 

 controlled entirely by the weather. On cold, raw days 

 they are uneasy, and wary of approach ; the whistling 

 wind and the flying clouds breed in them a spirit of 

 restlessness identical with the day ; instead of nestling 

 quietly behind some sheltering hummock of grass, pro- 

 tected from the wind, they hie themselves to the sparse- 

 ly growing grass on the border s of the marsh, and are 

 constantly on the alert. It seems impossible to ap- 

 proach them. They will rise from forty to seventy-five 

 yards from the hunter, and dart off with the greatest 

 rapidity. They will not fly far, perhaps one hundred 

 yards ; but should one try to get near enough for a 

 shot, the same performance is gone through with, and 



