336 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



had already scored six mallard, a water-rail, and a rabbit 

 to his credit. " I rather fancy you will have to hold a 

 bit straighter, if you mean to lick me this morning," re- 

 marked my fellow-fowler, as he examined my bag some- 

 what contemptuously. I rather fancied so, too, but made 

 no reply. 



The larger of the two fleets on Reedly Island is about 

 three-quarters of a mile in length, and perhaps eighty 

 yards wide, either shore being heavily fringed with tall 

 reeds and sedges, which afford splendid harbourage to 

 different kinds of waterfowl, and during the winter some 

 rare species of both ducks and divers visit the fleet. 



" If you have no objection, I will take the left-hand 

 side of the fleet, for I can feel a confounded twinge of gout 

 in my right foot ; and, as you are aware, there are fewer 



grips and feeders on that side," remarked H to me, 



as he put a couple of cartridges into the chambers of his 

 gun, preparatory to making a fresh start. Now, although 

 I did not mention the fact, I hate shooting from the right- 

 hand shore of the fleet, for, owing to some unknown 

 reason, I invariably experience ill luck when taking that 

 beat. Nor was Dame Fortune a whit kinder to me on 

 that particular morning, as will presently be shown. 



The retrievers had not been working in the reed-cover 



many minutes when an old mallard rose close to H -, 



who immediately cut it down with the first barrel. 

 Scarcely had the report of the shot died away than I 

 heard a great flapping of wings, accompanied by loud 

 quacking, in the reeds ahead of me, and a few moments 



