PARTRIDGE SHOOTING 259 



The old marsh baiUff, and half-a-dozen grinning 

 yokels, who were to act the several parts of beaters, 

 lunch and game carriers, etc., were ranged in clumsy- 

 attitudes round the ivy-wreathed porch of the high- 

 gabled, old thatched homestead which was to form the 

 headquarters of our little party for the next two days. 



By this time we were quite ready for a second break- 

 fast — my preliminary breakfast, a " Bath Oliver," and a 

 glass of " Glenlivet" and milk, was made shortly after five 

 o'clock A.M. — and ample justice having been done to a 

 huge dish of particularly fat green-bacon and new-laid 

 eggs, the guns were put together, and we set out, two to 

 kill and two to miss ; the latter being the lawyer and 

 myself. 



We elected to shoot first the marshes in the vicinity of 

 the homestead, and, leaping a wide boundary dyke by 

 means of the poles carried by our henchmen, we entered 

 a long, narrow strip of rough grass lying under the sea- 

 wall. Beyond the latter ran a navigable salting- 

 fringed creek, which wormed its way through many miles 

 of salt-marsh and ooze-flats until it became lost in the 

 North Sea. 



Scarcely had we set foot in the grass than a covey of 



thirteen strong partridges rose from almost under M 's 



feet, who was placed outside gun on the left flank. He 

 pulled both barrels into the covey, but the result was 

 bloodless. A brace flying somewhat wide of their fellows 

 passed me, offering an absurdly easy '' double," but, alas ! 

 my powder proved as " crooked " as did M 's, and 



