88 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



made to them in the gunning-punt. True, a fairly heavy- 

 sea was still running in the fairway, but the tide was very 

 low, and the water remaining on the sands was com- 

 paratively smooth. 



Gilson now took the tiller, while M. and myself lifted 

 the 1 J-in. bore swivel gun from its slings in the cabin, and 

 placed it on deck ready to hand. On and on we raced, 

 nearer and nearer to the fowl, until but a short quarter 

 of a knot lay between them and ourselves. The yawl 

 was, therefore, hove-to, and the punt hauled up alongside. 

 The big gun was next rigged in the bows of the punt, and 

 then arose the question as to who should act the part of 

 gunner and who wield the paddle and setting pole. A 

 coin of the realm was tossed to solve the knotty problem, 

 and, as is usually the case, the propulsion of the craft fell 

 to my lot. A double-handed shooting punt carrying a 

 Ij-in. breech-loading stanchion gun and two men is not 

 easy to navigate in anything like rough water, and M. 

 and myself had a pretty wet time of it until the smooth 

 tide running over the sands was reached. Having made 

 a wide detour to get the wind in our favour, my com- 

 panion unshipped his sculls and crept forward to work 

 the gun, while I took the paddle and kept the nose of the 

 tide-carried punt pointing toward the paddling. On and 

 on the low, grey craft crept nearer and nearer to the 

 duck, until they were almost within range of the big gun 

 rigged in her bows ; and still those usually wideawake 

 fowl did not appear to be aware of the danger that lurked 

 so near at hand. Possibly they were unable to see the 



