108 VARIETIES OF SHOOTING. 



are safe from the hinds." He then made a signal for Sandy 

 to lie down with the dogs, and, placing himself flat on his 

 stomach, began to worm his way close under the low ridge 

 of the bog, imitated most correctly and beautifully by the 

 rest of the party. The burn now came sheer up to intercept 

 the passage, and formed a pool under the bank, running deep 

 and drumly ; the leader then turned his head round slightly, 

 and, passing his hand along the grass as a signal for Light- 

 foot to wreath himself alongside of him, said, " Now, my 

 good fellow, no remedy if you do not like a ducking, stay 

 here ; but if you do remain, pray lie like a flounder till the 

 shot is fired. Have no curiosity, I beg and beseech you; 

 and speak, as I do, in a low whisper." 



" Pshaw ! I can follow wherever you go, and in the same 

 position too." 



" Bravo ! here goes, then ; but if you love sport, do not 

 make a splash in the water, but go in as quiet as a fish, and 

 keep under the high bank, although it is deeper there there 

 is a great nicety in going in properly ; that is the difficult 

 point. I believe it must be head foremost; but we must 

 take care to keep our heels down as we slide in, and not to 

 wet the rifles. Hist ! Peter, here, lay the rifles on the bank, 

 and give them to me when I am in the burn." 



Tortoise then worked half his body over the bank, and, 

 stooping low, brought his hands upon a large granite stone 

 in the burn, with his breast to the water, and drew the rest 

 of his body after him as straight as he possibly could. He 

 was then half immersed, and, getting close under the bank, 

 took the rifles; the rest followed admirably; in fact, the 

 water was not so deep as it appeared to be, being scarcely 

 over the hips. They proceeded in this manner about twenty 

 yards, when, the ground being more favourable, they were 

 enabled to get on dry land. 



" Do you think it will do ?" 



" Hush ! hush ! he has not seen us yet ; and yonder is my 

 mark; the deer lies opposite it to the south he is almost 

 within gunshot even now." 



A sign was given to Eraser to come alongside, for they 

 were arrived at the spot from which it was necessary to 

 diverge into the moss. In breathless expectation they now 



