170 BROADLAND SPORT 



Pretty little teal in full winter garb lay upon the water 

 amongst the decaying lilies, the bright green of their 

 wings looking as though a spring leaf had fallen upon 

 them, whilst the drops of water scattered upon their 

 plumage glistened like diamonds in the brilliant sunshine. 

 Here and there lay duck and mallard, some on the sedge 

 tussocks, others floating on the open water, all of them 

 dead, with hardly a feather of their plumage ruffled. In 

 half - an - hour we had collected over a score, and by a 

 skilful cross-questioning of my friends as to the sport they 



SHOOTING ROUND THE HOVERS. 



had had, and by dwelling at length upon the accident to 

 our agricultural friend in the bog, I had diverted inquiry 

 concerning the extent of my share towards the bag. But 

 it was not a wise artifice the truth will always out and 

 had I anticipated the good-natured chaff I was certain 

 to receive I should have blurted out the facts when I first 

 met my friends, and not have allowed them to ferret them 

 out for themselves. 



Of course, my host very generously asserted that the 

 blame must all be attributed to the bent stock, but this I 

 would never openly admit, and urged in preference that it 



