28 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



ing I adopted a more successful expedient. Des- 

 patching a light-footed native, who was well 

 acquainted with all the favourite resorts of wild- 

 fowl among the labyrinthian recesses of a distant 

 bog, through which the river meandered in its 

 earlier course, I directed him to flush them from 

 these haunts, while I resumed the post which I 

 had occupied on the preceding day. For the first 

 half-hour I was almost in despair ; for the falcon 

 was absent from her accustomed station, and I 

 thought it not improbable that the operations of 

 my coadjutor might have attracted her attention, 

 and that she was perhaps at that very moment in 

 full enjoyment of a chace which I was fated not 

 to witness ; but on looking up a few moments 

 afterwards, there she sat, bolt upright as usual, 

 and now every minute appeared an hour, as I 

 strained my eyes continually in the direction 

 from which I expected the arrival of the first 

 detachment of ducks. Presently a cluster of 

 dark spots appeared against the distant sky, gra- 

 dually becoming more distinct, and sinking lower 

 and lower as they neared the river, and at last 

 keeping close to its surface, until they scudded by 

 within a few yards of the commanding position of 

 their enemy ; who, probably from her reluctance 

 to strike so large a quarry as a wild-duck, which 

 she could not have clutched and carried off with 



