96 



WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



bell before getting up. Don will pickup the dead ones. 

 You take the first bird that gets up." 



" Let him go," says Ned, " any time, and if I don't 

 knock the stuff " 



" Ha ! ha ! Just what I expected when it flew up. 

 It rose against the wind, and when you fired the first 

 barrel it wasn't twenty feet from you, coming almost 

 into your face. You missed it with the second, because 

 your first miss rattled you. Don't be in such a rush 

 when they get up. I thought you would shoot too 

 quick and miss it, so I was prepared for it. 



" See ! Don has just picked it up, and it's only 

 about thirty yards from us ; I had plenty of time to kill 

 it after you fired both barrels. You see what the dog 

 did ? He marked the bird and has gone and got it 

 while you and I stand talking here. 



" Now, watch him give it to me. 



" That's right ! Good boy ! See, he sits on his 

 haunches, raises his nose to me, and I take the bird from 

 his mouth, without having to stoop over a particle. If 

 there is anything I dislike, it's having a dog half 

 retrieve ; or, when bringing the bird all right, to walk 

 around me, ducking his head, and constantly keeping 

 the bird out of reach ; or, dropping it on the ground at 

 my feet, worse still, jumping up, putting his paws on 

 me, splashing and plastering mud over my clothes. The 

 latter is decidedly dangerous, and especially so if one is 

 shooting with a hammer gun. 



" Look at your feet, Ned ! " 



" What's the matter with my feet ? I don't see any- 

 thing," replied Ned. 



" Don't you see those holes about as large around as 

 a pencil ? They have been boring here for worms, and 



