UNDEE THE MOON 113 



creeks debouching upon the seashore. Early morning 

 is the best time to visit these serpentine, saltwort-fringed 

 waterways, and by quietly drifting in at about half- 

 flood the chances are we may fall in with a paddling of 

 mallard, or a small company of widgeon or teal ; indeed, 

 fowl of all kinds frequently shelter in these peaceful 

 havens during a hard gale, and the harder it blows the 

 better for the " gully-crawler." Some rare specimens are 

 often picked up amongst the creeks and salt-marshes, 

 and although shots with the swivel gun will probably 

 be very few and far between, a heavy shoulder gun 

 should be carried in the punt, as well as the cripple- 

 stopper, for even though there be no duck in evidence, 

 waders of some kind are pretty sure to be met with. 



When the wind is blowing hard outside, the puntsman 

 should *' hug " the sheltered side of the creek as closely 

 as possible, and be ever on the qui vive, for at any moment 

 a curlew, plover or duck may spring from one of the 

 muddy rills which intersect and drain the salt-marshes, 

 and any little sheltered bay in the salts may hold a 

 paddling of mallard. Then again a lively twenty minutes 

 or so of flight-shooting often falls to the share of the 

 creek-shooter as the fowl pass to or from their nightly 

 feeding grounds on the uplands. The flight-shooter 

 must, however, learn the usual line taken by the birds 

 during the morning and evening flight, and, having done 

 so, he should run his punt into some gully lying under the 

 line of flight, and of sufficient depth to hide every portion 

 of his anatomy, and wait patiently for the advent of the 



