24 The Amateur Poacher. 



A gentle breeze followed the cloud, chasing its 

 shadow. Orion touched his rod meaningly. 



So I stepped ashore with the gun to see if a 

 channel could be found into the open water, and 

 pushed through the bush. Briar and bramble choked 

 the path, and hollow willow stoles ; but, holding the 

 gun upright, it was possible to force through, till, 

 pushing between a belt of reeds and round an elder 

 thicket, I came suddenly on a deep, clear pool all 

 but walking into it. Up rose a large bird out of 

 the water with a bustling of wings and splashing, 

 compelled to ' rocket ' by the thick bushes and willow 

 poles. There was no time to aim ; but the old gun 

 touched the shoulder and went off without conscious 

 volition on my part. 



The bird flew over the willows, but the next 

 moment there was a heavy splash somewhere beyond 

 out of sight. Then came an echo of the report sent 

 back from the woods adjoining, and another, and a 

 third and fourth, as the sound rolled along the side of 

 the hill, caught in the coombes and thrown to and 

 fro like a ball in a tennis-court. Wild with anxiety, 

 we forced the punt at the bulrushes, in the corner 

 where it looked most open, and with all our might 

 heaved it over the weeds and the mud, and so round 

 the islet into the next pool, and thence into the open 



