BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



covered something well suited to their palates. I could also 

 distinguish some of the less common species of anatidae, among 

 which the males of the smew and the golden-eye were con- 

 spicuous in their pied plumage. The sooty scoter too was 

 there, but foraging by himself apart from the main body. 

 All this time their concealed enemy was gradually lessening 

 the distance between them and himself. Slowly and stealthily 

 did he advance, nearer and nearer, until at last I expected 

 every instant to hear the roar of the stanchion-gun, and fan- 

 cied that he must be excessively dilatory or over-cautious, 

 as minute after minute elapsed without the report reaching 

 my ears. At last a bird rose from the crowd and flew directly 

 towards me. I saw that it would pass tolerably near, and 

 when in a few seconds afterwards I perceived that it was a 

 male golden-eye within thirty yards of me, I almost forgot the 

 important — though as yet passive — part I was enacting in the 

 scene, and as I instinctively grasped my double gun and raised 

 the hammer, I felt tempted to pull the trigger. Prudence, 

 however, prevailed, and I followed the example of my saga- 

 cious dog, who lay crouched at my side without moving a 

 muscle of his limbs. He had seen the bird as well as myself, 

 and his quick eye had detected my hasty movement, but his 

 attention was again directed to the main body of water-fowl, 

 several of which had at length taken alarm and were rising, 

 one by one, from the water. It was an anxious moment. 

 The swans were still there, but they had ceased to feed ; their 

 heads were turned towards me, and I soon perceived that the 

 entire flotilla had gradually approached nearer to me. Now 

 or never, thought I. I glanced rapidly at the advancing gun- 

 boat — almost at the same instant a small puff of smoke issued 

 from its further extremity, succeeded by a pigmy report, and 

 up rose the entire host of water-fowl — swans and all — the snow- 

 white plumage of the hoopers standing out in bold relief against 

 the murky sky. Then a huge volume of smoke and a bright 

 flame burst from the prow, followed by the thunder of the great 

 gun itself — off at last ! — and as it cleared a passage through 



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