GREAT YARMOUTH TO HORNING 149 



are delicate, he has first detected the faint whistle of the 

 wings of wildfowl, and shortly we also shall catch the un- 

 mistakable whistle of mallard on the wing. Minutes seem to 

 pass, which in reality are but a few seconds, and before we 

 have been able to distinguish the fowl they are on us with 

 a rush of wings that would startle the unexperienced shooter, 

 and they alight on the water with a mighty splash which 

 causes the pulses to throb and the veins to be on fire with 

 suppressed excitement. Should the fowl fly between us 

 and the western sky, there will be little difficulty in spotting 

 them, but it takes a good man to kill dead a right and 

 left when the evening is far advanced. 



Sometimes when fowl have been much shot at, or the 

 wind is light and the weather fine, they will circle several 

 times round the water before alighting, and it is a good rule 

 to follow, " never to pull trigger unless the gun is prepared 

 to lay even money with himself ; like a well-known sporting 

 duke, either his left-hand pocket against his right, or to lay 

 it " on the nod " with his four-footed companion. 



Each shot creates a hubbub all around, which at first is 

 quite unexpected. The water birds which make their home 

 in this particular neighbourhood commence shrieking, and 

 uttering loud cries of alarm, spluttering into the reeds with 

 a great rumpus. The retriever should require no direction ; 

 he has noted the result of the shot and silently leaves, soon 

 bringing to our feet the slain, which he retrieves with great 

 pride in his work. No sooner is he back than he is off again 

 in another direction to fetch the second bird. Other shots 

 follow, sometimes successfully, but more often otherwise, and 

 thus we sit, without moving from one position, until the last 

 light of day has faded from the sky and only the stars 

 twinkle overhead, or the night wind howls and the darkening 

 scud comes on, and we are unable to see by the watch how 

 quickly the time has passed. 



According to circumstances, the bag is heavy or light, and 

 the expenditure of cartridges large or small; but whether 

 sport is obtained or not, the satisfaction is great at having 



