290 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



become the home and breeding-place of the non- migratory- 

 ducks and coots. Redshanks, peewits, and partridges, 

 also nest on the marshes. But to " hark back " to my 

 friends, whom I left admiring the view from W — stairs. 



The road leading from the mainland to the group of 



islands, of which E forms a unit, is marked out by a 



long line of beacons, which are sunk in the sands to a 

 depth of several feet. This strange highway is passable 

 only at low tide. 



Shortly after leaving the Stairs, the youngster, who 

 was keen as mustard, got down to try and obtain a shot 

 into one of the many bunches of 'shanks and dunlin 

 assembled on the black grounds on our left, and by 

 " browning " a flock of some hundreds of the latter birds 

 he managed to bag sufficient material to make a goodly 

 ox -bird pudding. He also shot a redshank which, strange 

 to relate, flew within range of his brand-new 16-bore. 

 Having gathered the birds, the Wykehamist proudly re- 

 turned to the cart to receive the congratulations of his 

 father and myself. At length we drew up before the 

 door of an old-fashioned, high-gabled homestead, to find 

 the bailiff's wife — a buxom matron, weighing not less 

 than eighteen stone — busily engaged in setting our room 

 in order. Now, the furniture in this room was somewhat 

 primitive. Two chairs (one a cripple) and an empty 

 whisky-case seated our little party admirably, but the 

 table, which was improvised from a couple of planks 

 mounted on trestles, was a source of constant trouble 

 and vexation of spirit : amongst other little peculiarities 



