264 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



miss this time, and on go the remaining leash oi mallard 



towards the creek. It is H 's turn now ; and before 



the " Crack, crack ! " of his 12-bore reaches our ears, 

 a couple more of the fleeting forms drop like stones 

 into the reeds, leaving but one solitary member of 

 what was a few moments ago a bunch of fat and 

 strong young wild duck, to find a safer harbourage 

 among the dykes and fleets of the neighbouring 

 marshes. 



A couple of coot were next found, and set a-wing by 

 old Rake, from the aquatic growth on my side of the 

 fleet, both of which I managed to stop with a "right 

 and left." 



No more fowl of any kind were met with on the big 

 fleet, and the smaller lagoon yielded but a couple of 

 mallard and a solitary teal. No one was surprised at 

 the paucity of the fowl on the fleets, as the young 

 broods of wild duck had been very much thinned out 



on the opening day of the wildfowling season, and the 



foreign duck had not yet arrived. 



The fleets shot, a move was made to the uplands, when 



8| brace of partridges, a landrail, 3 hares, and several 



rabbits were added to the bag ; no fewer than 5 brace 



of the little brown birds being shot in a small field of 



turnips and potatoes. 



We stopped shooting shortly after four o'clock in the 



afternoon, by which time both men and dogs had had 



enough for one day. 



" I hope you've enjoyed the day's sport, M ," said 



