THE STANCHION-GUN IN SPAIN. 



401 



long 



and evening coming on, we were obliged to risk a 

 shot, only some six or eight duck were secured. 



To complete this sketch of Spanish punt-gunning, w^e 

 will l)rietl3- narrate the incidents of two other days' sport, 

 as follows : — Fchruary 28th. Started at daybreak, taking 

 both the punt and a cahrcsto pony. The first shot was at 

 eleven teal, of M'hich eight fell to the two barrels (12-bore) ; 

 the second shot realized seven more teal and a marsh - 

 harrier. The latter capture afforded rather a curious 



"THE BITER AND THE BIT.' 



incident : six teal lay dead, the seventh, being a lively 

 cripple (which could fl}^ some distance), I sent Yergara 

 after him in the punt, while we proceeded along-shore 

 with the pony. A large hawk, however, had at once 

 "spotted" the cripple, and an exciting chase ensued — 

 the hawk making stoop after stoop, the teal as often escap- 

 ing by diving. But the dives grew' shorter and shorter, 

 and at last we observed that the bird of prey had pre- 

 vailed, for he remained suspended betwixt wind and water 



D D 



