W1LDFO WL1NG A T SEA 89 



This reference to the difficulty encountered when gathering 

 the birds brings to memory an amusing incident which hap- 

 pened many years since, and runs as follows : All arrange- 

 ments for a scoter battue had been completed, and the party 

 was on the point of starting from Musseldom beach, in the 

 county of Curreshire, no less than eleven boats strong, not 

 including the drivers, when a young enthusiast begged very 

 hard to be allowed to take part in the expedition. He 

 had lent a helping hand in former fowling exploits, on 

 more occasions than one, whilst his pleading, upturned 

 countenance, and eyes aglow with all the fire of over- 

 powering excitement, which he could ill conceal, was so 

 entreating that one's fellow-feelings of sporting instinct 

 softened towards him, and he was granted a berth in one of 

 the boats. Not much notice was taken of this extraordinary 

 shore-loafer until the line was fairly anchored, and the first 

 batch or two of black duck had passed over. He fired, although 

 the birds were at least eighty yards off, and then attention 

 was drawn to the peculiar appendages produced for extracting 

 his loading requisites. First came the powder, taken from an 

 old medicine bottle, and carefully measured in an ordinary 

 clay pipe bowl : on the top of this a ball of brown paper, 

 rammed home, followed by a handful of shot from his left- 

 hand breeches-pocket; another paper wad, and barrel No. 1 

 was charged to the full satisfaction and evident pride of its 

 owner. Barrel No. 2 he did not interfere with, because, as he 

 explained, it had long since burst, and was now corked up to 

 prevent mistakes. The lock (kept in position by a piece of 

 string) was next cocked, primed and capped, and is it to be 

 wondered at that, after this display, he was generously allotted 

 the whole of the bows of the boat for his absolute disposal 

 during the remainder of the day ? One last remark on his 

 prowess. He actually drew first blood by winging a " black " 

 duck, and his joy thereat was far greater than can be described 

 in words. Jumping on to the boom, he was just in time to see 

 his bird dive, and turning to us a piteous face, the very picture 

 of despair and disappointment, he exclaimed, in a voice of 



