A SHELLBACK OF THE CROUCH 297 



delicate one either, I remember. For a long day's 

 fishing we shall require about a dinghy load of provisions. 

 But, by Jove ! all the shops will be closed, for its half 

 past nine already." 



" All right, Pat, you needn't worry your noble head 

 about grub ; I will ask our host to provision us." 



Upon explaining our difficulty to the proprietor of the 

 hotel, he very kindly offered to supply us with all we 

 required from his own larder and cellar, and, having seen 

 a goodly hamper packed, Maldoon and myself retired to 

 rest at the comparatively early hour of ten o'clock. We 



were on board Dan H 's snug little smack-yacht and 



sailing down river at five-thirty the next morning. 



A " soldier's " breeze was on, and, therefore, Dan was 

 able to pay more attention to his passengers than he 

 would have, had the wind been ahead, and " bout ship " 

 the order of the day. 



He had something of interest to tell regarding every 

 spit of ooze, patch of salting and foreshore, point, head- 

 land or bay, passed during the run down the river. 



" You see yonder tongue of slob ? I shot thirty -seven 

 green plover on that tongue with the ode cannon (swivel 

 gun) early one morning last winter. The birds sat on 

 the mud as thick as a bunch of oxbirds, and if I hadn't 

 loaded up for duck I should have got a masterful rake at 

 'em. Anyway, it was the best shot I got the whole 

 season, for the weather was too open for fowl. That 

 bend in the sea-wall, opposite the floating beacon, is a 

 wonderful good spot to lay up for flight — the best place 



