212 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



this sketch, I trust he will forgive me for having poached 

 upon his manorial rights, for at the time of which I 

 write I was under the impression that the saltings and 

 foreshores in question were the property of the Crown. 



I had almost forgotten to mention that before leaving 

 the yacht I put on a white linen overall and a white serge 

 cap, that I might appear as inconspicuous as possible in 

 the snow. Scarcely had the nose of the dinghy touched 

 the saltings than with a " scape-scape " a snipe rose from 

 a small muddy runnel within five yards of me, and away 

 he screwed to the marshes lying on the other side of 

 the creek, unscathed, of course, for I was quite un- 

 prepared for him. Not a feather did I meet with upon 

 the first stretch of salt-marshes, but, to my delight, 

 when rounding the north-west point of those marshes 

 known as the Isle of Grain, I saw a Httle company of 

 between thirty and forty widgeon leisurely paddling 

 into Yantlett Creek. Judging by the lay of the land and 

 the slant of the wind, I guessed that the fowl would, 

 if they were not disturbed, pass within shot of the salt- 

 ings upon which I was walking ; but I could see neither 

 gut nor runnel of sufficient depth to afford me a " lay- 

 up." The salt-marshes and surrounding country were, 

 however, covered with snow, and clad as I was in the 

 white overall, I hoped by lying at full length amongst 

 the dead stalks of sea lavender to escape the notice of 

 the ever-watchful and keen-sighted fowl. 



Creeping on all fours, I managed to gain the edge of 

 the saltings without accident, and having placed my gun 



