WILD FOWLING 



the winged mass between us, several of the motley crowd fell 

 to rise no more : almost at the same instant the head and 

 shoulders of a man were protruded from a covering of seaweed, 

 under which he had hitherto been concealed, and the next 

 moment he was vigourously plying his paddles in all the 

 excitement of a regular cripple chase. My turn had at 

 length arrived : restraining the ardour of my dog, who only 

 waited for a word to take an active share in the pursuit, I 

 turned my attention to a detachment of swans, about five in 

 number, which had apparently escaped unhurt, and after 

 wheeling once or twice over the bodies of their dead com- 

 panions, uttering all the time their trumpet-like notes, were 

 now gradually ascending, and nearing my place of conceal- 

 ment. On they came, but suddenly their leader seemed to 

 have discovered my position and veered round in an opposite 

 direction, followed by all except one, who as he was passing 

 overhead, fell a victim to my long gun. A brent goose almost 

 at the same instant passed on the other side, and afforded an 

 easy mark for the first barrel of my heavy double, while the 

 second was discharged at a venture, but ineffectually, at a 

 party of pochards — the last detachment of the fugitives, as 

 they hurried back once more to the tempestuous but less 

 treacherous waters of the channel. . . .' 



For light on the sport in our own day we naturally turn 

 to Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, from whose Letters to young 

 Shorter s ^ the following is taken : — 



'' In this letter I will treat of Wildfowl-shooting as it exists 

 in unprotected places, such as the great stretches of sea shore 

 that are still free in many parts of our islands, and, I trust, 

 may ever remain at the disposal of the humble fowler. Here 

 we have a vastly different style of gunning : there is no 

 certainty of sport in this case, you may depend upon it. 



' You will find neither Wild ducks nor Teal waiting to be 

 shot at their owner's fancy, after the fashion of a private 

 preserve : nor will you discover a quiet refuge on land or water, 



1 Third Series ; ^Vild Fowling. 

 119 



