WILD-FOWL SHOOTING ASHORE BY NIGHT. 285 



from twenty to thirty birds together, it was at once arranged 

 that we should both shoot; and having so agreed, we waited a 

 few minutes until they afforded us both a fair chance, when, at a 

 given signal, we fired simultaneously the farmer at one side the 

 paddling, and I at the other and in less than five minutes 

 Sambo fetched us from the muddy ooze thirteen duck and 

 mallard, the result of our joint shot. How the farmer had thought 

 of recovering his birds without a dog I cannot tell ; but I 

 imagine he must have been very glad of Sambo's assistance, the 

 ooze being too soft and rotten to bear human weight without 

 mud-pattens. 



Punters have, generally, a great antipathy to shore-gunners, 

 who often spoil their best sport ; when, just as they are about 

 approaching large numbers of fowl, and almost within shot, the 

 report of a small gun ashore disturbs the whole lake, and every 

 bird rises in the air. Shore-gunners have a similar antipathy to 

 punters, and their best sport is sometimes spoilt by the roar of the 

 punter's artillery. 



On one occasion I remember an event which gave rise to much 

 gossip at the time it occurred now many years ago. A fowler, 

 named " Ted Steele," who pursued his calling more by night than 

 day, was in the habit of skirting a certain bay in a river on the 

 eastern coast, famous for wild-fowl shooting. In the bay alluded to 

 he had bagged many a pair of wild-fowl ; and on the occasion to 

 which our anecdote relates, he was in eager pursuit of his calling*. 

 But before proceeding farther with Ted Steele on his midnight 

 excursion with punt and gun, the reader must follow me ashore to a 

 sea-wall or mound thrown up close by the river side, behind which two 

 men lay concealed in motionless silence, with shoulder guns of long- 

 barrel pointed in the direction of a paddling of wild -ducks which 

 were unsuspectingly swimming in-shore towards the tumulus before 

 mentioned, the flowing tide assisting and encouraging them onwards. 

 Both the men had their guns primed and cocked, and their fingers 

 on the triggers : a dog was lying at their feet ready to obey instant 

 orders when required. In a few seconds they would have fired : the 

 signal had already passed between them to "stand by!" when, 

 " bang !" roared an unexpected and startling gun from a punt, which 

 then instantly emerged from the shade, and which the ensconced 

 sportsmen had only that instant detected, though within fifty yards 

 of the mound. 



