'390 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



while wading about in the mud and mire, and the walking is so 

 very uneven, that the heel almost invariably pushes itself by de- 

 grees entirely over the frame, and we have abandoned all hope of 

 ever having a decent-looking pair of boots for this kind of shoot- 

 ing. When, however, they have run over, they may be braced up 

 with pieces of sole-leather, and the heel itself slightly raised on the 

 same side, so as to throw the weight of the foot in the opposite 

 direction; in this way they will stand a great deal of hard work, 

 and, with a little management, can be made to last a long while. 

 We have been so much annoyed with our boots running over while 

 snipe-shooting, that we proposed to our bootmaker to put in a 

 metallic plate of some kind between the layers of leather usually 

 employed for making this portion of the boot firm and unyielding 

 to the pressure of wet and irregular walking ; but he made so many 

 objections to our proposition that we were forced to abandon the 

 idea for the present. However, we intend to investigate the sub- 

 ject at some future time. 



Some sportsmen recommend the use of low, laced boots for 

 snipe-shooting, as they say it is impossible to keep your feet dry, 

 no matter how careful you may be, and therefore it is much better 

 not to worry yourself with long and heavy boots, warranted to be 

 water-proof. We have tried both water-proof boots and non-water- 

 proof bootees, and have at times been as much disgusted with one 

 as the other, giving the preference now to one and now to the 

 other, until we have at last nearly come to the conclusion that an 

 old pair of easy walking-boots, with holes in them to let the water 

 run out as fast as it flows in, is about as comfortable a kind of boot 

 for snipe-shooting as one can wear, as the feet will get wet at all 

 hazards, at least our feet will ; for if the boots be made high, even 

 to reach far above the knees, we are sure, some time in the course 

 of the day, to get into a ditch perhaps up to our middle ; and as 

 often as we have gone out with the determination of not getting 

 our feet wet, just so often have we returned home with them soak- 

 ing, and many a pang of rheumatism have we suffered in conse- 

 quence of our want of care. We do not pretend to say that boots 



