156 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



negroes. "Makes dis child piccaninny agin fur to see young 

 missus wake 'era up so ! " said Big Sam. 



"Mark! Mark!" "Escape!" "Escape!" Two more snipe 

 sprung up, followed by two shots, and they fell ahead of us in the 

 grass, and then there arose three or four together. The island 

 seemed to be full of them, and when raised, they would dodge 

 about in long irregular circles, calling up others from the grass, 

 until they collected in whisps above us, and bore away to some 

 adjoining islands. 



It was difficult to keep the line regular, for the negroes were 

 full of excitement in picking up wounded birds, and seeing others 

 spring beside them. "We needed no dogs, for every bird on the 

 island was raised, and there was so little heavy grass we lost few 

 dead ones. Occasionally we would start one of those heavy grey 

 herons that frequent such marshes, flapping up heavily from the 

 grass, and casting his keen eye back over his shoulder at the 

 intruders ; and twice we sprung that tiny prince of the heron tribe, 

 the smallest and most beautiful of all the genus Ardea, called the 

 Least Bittern in the books, but which the people sometimes name 

 the Tiger Bittern, from his brindled coat and wild eye. We shot 

 them both, and Lou, wrapping them carefully in her handkerchief 

 for preserving, stowed them away in one of the pockets of her 

 hunting-coat. 



At last the point of the island was reached, and while the men 

 were sent back for the boats we sat down on the beach and counted 

 out thirty-six snipe. Taking some willow switches, we ran them 

 through their bills, carefully smoothing down their ruffled plumage 

 and washing off the occasional mud, and made as beautiful six 

 bunches of game as ever delighted a fowler's eye. Even Mike 

 consented to praise, with the reserving clause that we had wasted 

 too much powder and shot on them. How graceful they looked 

 beside the green-headed mallards and the dusky ducks that were 

 piled knee-deep in the boats. 



"A glorious day well spent," said Jackson, as the island on 

 which we had been shooting dwindled in the water, red with the 

 reflection of the sunset, and Bonda Key opened its headland of 

 stately verdure. 



