THE CRIPPLE CHASE. 233 



dive, when the pursuer seizes it by the neck and takes it into his 

 boat. He then immediately goes after another ; and so on, one at a 

 time, fairly wearing them out. 



The cripple chase affords fine fun for young sailors and cabin-boys, 

 who sometimes enjoy it above any other sport ; and when it arises 

 from a shot fired by a sportsman from his shooting yacht, he generally 

 sends his two youngest hands (two boys, if such are aboard) in the 

 yacht's dingay, or a punt, to capture the wounded birds ; so, whilst 

 it affords the boys infinite delight to chase the cripples, the yachts- 

 man himself finds equal amusement in watching their proceedings 

 from the yacht's deck. 



" Here it is!" and "There it is!" are echoed simultaneously as 

 the bird suddenly rises again to the surface, after diving beneath 

 the boat ; when, after a long chase of many minutes' close pursuit, 

 its powers of diving gradually become weaker, and the exits from 

 the surface are of shorter duration ; until, at last, the poor victim, 

 powerless from exhaustion, is secured. 



A strong cripple sometimes leads its pursuers half-an-hour's chase 

 before it can be taken ; particularly in rough water. 



The punter always goes in pursuit of his cripples before re-loading; 

 and if he has a small double-barrelled shoulder-piece with him, as 

 every punter ought to have, he can, if he chooses, make short work 

 of the cripple chase, and spare those helpless creatures the pain of 

 wanton torture. 



A good deal depends on the skill of the oarsman as to the time it 

 takes to capture wounded birds. If two novices are put into a boat, 

 they can no more capture a strong cripple-duck than they can fly ; 

 but it is, nevertheless, laughable to look on at their attempts : every 

 now and then one or other "catches a crab,"* and his heels fly up in 

 the air, to the great amusement of those looking on. At another 

 time, just as one stretches out his hand over the gunwale of the boat 

 to grasp the bird, it shuts the door upon him, by instantly dis- 

 appearing beneath the surface, and remaining under water a minute 

 or more; then when it again appears, to their astonishment it is 

 some fifty or sixty yards off; thus, again and again they make 

 their useless attempts, until they tire themselves, and are obliged to 

 abandon the chase to more skilful oarsmen. 



* So called in nautical language ; i. e., topples head over heels in the boat, in 

 consequence of missing a stroke with the oar. 



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