75^ 



A Day with the Rails. 



A PUSHER. 



quiet till the boat had approached near them, and then would quickly 

 swim to one side, in case the water was not too thickly studded with 

 oat-stalks. 



The next shots were at a flock of reed-birds, which rose in a 

 compact cloud not twelve yards from the gunner. As he had been 

 forewarned of their presence by the pusher, he was on his guard, 

 and so reserved his fire till the birds were twenty yards distant, 

 when, in quick succession, he emptied both barrels at them. The 

 flock did not seem much diminished by his shots, and he was 

 much surprised when, shortly afterward, the pusher and he had 

 gathered in more than thirty birds — a dainty dinner. The pusher 

 could not help expressing his surprise at the want of delight in the 

 youth at such a record for his two shots, but gave a merry 



