DUCKS DEEP WATER. 97 



which he had winged, rushed forward too rashly, and 

 suddenly losing the support of the sedge carpet 

 beneath, was precipitated into a hole so deep that he 

 entirely disappeared, with the exception of his coat 

 tails and the stock of his gun ; and that, on emerging, 

 after floundering about in a very lively fashion, he 

 declared that though upwards of six feet in height, he 

 had discovered no bottom. 



Cautiously therefore I advanced and steadily, not 

 allowing myself to penetrate too far into the layer of 

 vegetable network, and yet feeling my way as I put 

 forward each foot. Soon, however, I considerably 

 recovered my confidence, and was thrown off my guard 

 when a small flock of ducks rose from the reeds a few 

 yards in advance. We all fired right and left, bringing 

 down four ; Alister his couple, and Walter and myself 

 each a single bird. Several more were put up by the 

 shots ; some of which left for the sea, flying over our 

 heads at a great height, while others dropped again at 

 the further end of the loch. We quickly secured three 

 of the fallen birds, but the fourth which was only 

 winged, being Alister's second, and a long shot, baffled 

 us for some time, Indeed we had lost it altogether, 

 when the gillie came upon it quite accidentally, and 

 seized it before it had time, impeded as it was by the 

 weeds, to dive and get away again. 



We now walked on for some distance without finding 

 any more ; but at last put up another flock, out of 

 which Alister and I bagged each our bird ; Walter 

 wounding one, a very long shot, which eventually fell at 

 the further end, where several more of the flock, 

 evidently young though of a fair size, also alighted 

 again; while the old birds kept wheeling round in the 

 air above us, or went away altogether. It was now 



H 



