FLAPPER SHOOTING 293 



ing in a drinking-place, which was formed by a widening 

 out of the dyke. The duck got up within a dozen paces 



of us, and N cut down three with his right and a 



single bird with his left, while I scored but one to my 

 credit. We next worked along a wide feeder, which 

 led directly to the big fleet, picking up here and there a 

 duck, and disturbing others out of shot, which, in most 

 cases, crossed over the sea-wall within range of Jack, the 

 report of whose gun occasionally came to our ears. We 

 were too far away, however, to note what sort of practice 

 he was making with his new " Churchill." 



At length we arrived at the head of the big fleet, which 

 extended almost across the island, but in no part was the 

 water of a greater breadth than fifty yards, and it was, 

 therefore, easily worked by a couple of guns, one on either 

 side. Here we enjoyed some pretty sport with the young 

 ducks, for although, with one exception, every brood 

 flushed was almost as strong on the wing as were the old 

 birds, they allowed us to approach well within shot of 

 them. A description of the manner in which this duck 

 was shot, how that missed, how the dogs found and re- 

 trieved their birds, or how N quietly " wiped my 



eye " from time to time, would prove monotonous to the 

 reader and embarrassing to the writer, especially the 

 eye -wiping part of the story. Suffice it, the dykes and 



fleets of E Island yielded their full complement 



of fowl on that glorious autumnal morning, and long 

 before the average citizen had left his bed our aggregate 

 bag contained thirty-seven wild-duck, three teal, five 



