112 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



see what we can do quite by ourselves ! We shall be much 

 freer to talk and smoke, and if we shoot more game than 

 we can carry we can easily ' cairn ' it for the moment." 

 So it was settled, and with guns on our shoulders and bags 

 at our back we started as the blue reek, beginning to 

 ascend in thin columns from the many chimney-stacks of 

 the old lodge, told us the household was astir. 



Loading up at once, for there were large woods all round 

 the house, and my companion declared his intention of 

 shooting everything he saw feather or fur we entered one 

 of these pine coppices and speedily found the rabbits had 

 not yet retired for the day. The first shot fell to me, and 

 a rabbit was bowled over as he bolted across the path ahead. 



Then J scored a right and left in good style, followed 



by three or four more as we went forward. Every now and 

 then we had to stop to admire one of the many ferny hollows 

 amongst the grey rocks and under the drooping branches 

 of the spruce firs; dingles so deep and shady that, even 

 at midday, they were silent and cool, and the sunlight only 

 made its way through the thick roof of leaves overhead to 

 play about for a short hour at midday on the soft carpet of 

 moss and short grasses. 



At the top of the wood was a shallow pond a tank we 

 should call it in India of an acre or so in extent, and much 

 overgrown with rushes. This we approached with caution, 

 but no sooner did the smallest patches of our deer-stalking 

 caps show through the bushes than the ducks we had 

 expected to find " at home " rose with loud splashing and 

 many guttural quacks. I had one chance for half a moment 

 at the mallard as he went oif through the tree-tops, and 

 firing in an instinctive manner, the moment the gun touched 

 my shoulder, he fell back headlong into the water, and, after 

 a desperate endeavour to dive, succumbed. My shot put up 

 a family of teal from the far end of the pond, who imme- 

 diately separated and flew round and round their home as 

 though loth to leave. This hesitation was fatal to one of 



