66 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



distance, over which the swans would probably fly 

 when returning to the sea, I might perhaps have 

 the good luck to intercept them. I lost no time 

 in carrying out this plan : the coastguard-man 

 ferried me across the mouth of the estuary, after 

 which, by taking a wide circuit and availing 

 myself of the nature of the ground where it was 

 possible to mask my advance, I succeeded at last 

 in reaching the desired point, and having scraped 

 a hole in the loose shingle sufficiently large to 

 conceal myself and my dog in a crouching atti- 

 tude, I placed my guns on either side of me, 

 and now directed all my attention to the exciting 

 scene in the harbour. 



The hoopers were still there, surrounded by 

 several flocks of wild-ducks, some five hundred 

 yards from the position which I occupied, and 

 about half that distance beyond them was the 

 gun-boat, as harmless a looking object as could 

 well be imagined, lying low in the water, and 

 never for a moment attracting the attention of 

 any of the devoted birds, who appeared to be 

 perfectly at their ease and in the full enjoyment 

 of repose and plenty after their long and stormy 

 voyage. The brent geese and the wigeons were 

 preening their feathers, while the scaup and 

 tufted ducks were continually diving, or flapping 

 their wings on their raturn to the surface before 



