1 68 BROADLAND SPORT 



to my annoyance, splashed me with spray when they fell 

 into the water. 



In the distance I could see the little island on which my 

 other friend was stationed, at intervals I heard either the 

 roar of his 8-bore or the almost noiseless puff of the nitros 

 from his 12, and I could see the victims which hovered 

 round his decoys like moths round a candle crumple up in 

 the air before the sound of the report could reach me. 



When the fowl were first alarmed there must have been 

 at least a thousand or more on the wing at one time, but 

 after half-an-hour's serenade they made themselves scarce 

 and disappeared almost entirely, returning in small groups 

 from time to time, but, as the weather was so still, they 

 circled and circled round and round the water, high overhead, 

 before they could gain sufficient confidence to return to their 

 former sanctuary. It was this suspicion of theirs which 

 caused so many to drop upon the surface of the broad for 

 the last time, and to dye the water with their blood. 



As they lowered they sighted the decoys swimming about 

 where they were accustomed to disport themselves, and 

 gaining more confidence thereat they approached nearer and 

 nearer, until the leaden hail stopped them altogether; at 

 least, as I have before said, so far as my two friends were 

 concerned. So far as I was concerned, it only caused them 

 to fly the faster. 



After a while we had a lull in our sport for about half 

 an hour, and the keeper, who had been watching the pro- 

 ceedings from a distance, visited me. I noticed that he wore 

 a worried look, but at that pastime I consider I gave him 

 points and an easy beating. 



" How many have you got in ? " he asked. 



What the devil should I say ? He could see a score of 

 empty cartridge shells at my feet, he had heard my incessant 

 f usilade, my stand was certainly one of the best on the broad, 

 and he knew from a former experience that if I shot at a 

 barn door four-and-twenty times I should not always hit 

 the roof. Even then, in my egoism, I would not confess 



