24 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



sedges, is given by old Rap, who has been told off to 

 work for me. The whimper is immediately followed by a 

 great rousting amidst the reeds, for the dog has sprung a 

 brood of seven remarkably well-grown young duck, 

 together with the female parent bird at this season of 

 the year the old mallards are in full moult and skulk away 

 by themselves until their change of plumage is com- 

 pleted. A couple of fat " flappers " drop to the contents 

 of the first barrel, while another hard hit, after " carrying 

 on " bravely in the wake of his more fortunate brethren, 

 suddenly drops like a stone. The remainder of the bunch 

 is marked down into the fleet, and further toll may be 

 taken of them later perhaps. 



The other guns are also hard at it ; indeed, if the 

 burning of powder has anything to do with it, our friends' 

 dykes would seem to hold a far better head of fowl than 

 does our own, for the firing is well-nigh incessant right 

 along the line, whereas for some little time after the 

 passing of the brood of flappers nothing comes within 

 range of our gun. Suddenly, however, an excited little 

 challenge from old Rap puts us on the qui vive, and out 

 flashes a single gadwall duck from a clump of black bog 

 rushes within very easy shot. How we managed to miss 

 the duck with the first barrel will ever remain a mystery, 

 for it afforded a shot which the veriest tyro should not 

 have muffed. The second attempt, however, crumples 

 up the duck like an old rag. We are not a little pleased 

 at bagging the gadwall, for the beautiful species, although 

 breeding sparingly in some parts of Norfolk since its 

 introduction there, may be regarded as quite a rara avis 

 on Dunlin Island. 



" Hinter conies a bunch o' teal ! Look out, maister ! " 



