FLIGHTING 125 



the state of the wind and weather, where it only remains 

 for us to light the soothing briar and await the incoming 

 birds. 



With the first glimmer of rosy light that shoots athwart 

 the eastern horizon a few odd pairs and one or two solitary 

 fowl put in an appearance, and the echoing report of our 

 heavily-loaded gun seems to arouse the entire bird life around 

 us. Herons rise with their hoarse " Frank ! Frank ! " moor- 

 hens utter the most weird shrieks, whilst a large number of 

 coots make a frightful spluttering in their endeavours to 

 take wing and collect en masse in the centre of the water, 

 where they remain quite awake and suspiciously on the watch. 

 As ihe light increases so does the confidence of the incoming 

 fowl seem to decrease, and they wheel round and round 

 several times preparatory to alighting, which is exactly what 

 is required of them, for, in so doing, a good opportunity often 

 offers itself to one or another of the guns, the fowl invariably 

 lowering to the decoys, which are conspicuously anchored 

 between the stands. 



Also, as the daylight progresses the trips increase in 

 size and number, causing our firing to become hotter and 

 hotter in fact, we find that it is the only warm thing about 

 us. In the middle of all this serenading and slaughter it is 

 sometimes surprising to see little "trips" of fowl (more 

 especially of teal) whisking in and dropping under one's 

 very nose before one has even had time to get the gun to 

 shoulder or realise their presence; more particularly is this 

 the case if the place has been undisturbed for any pro- 

 longed period. Moreover, it is remarkable how persistently 

 some of the birds will lead round again and .again, dip- 

 ping to the water and rising again as if it were too warm 

 for their feet, whilst large bags and capital sport reward 

 patience. 



The daylight having advanced, the keepers revisit the 

 shooters, accompanied by their retrievers and water-spaniels, 

 the dead are collected, the reed beds hunted for cripples, and 

 the rands round the edges of the broad walked through 



