THE BIRD LIFE OF FORMBY. 55 



streak of red in the sky. Two, four, six, eight, ten and one 

 makes eleven widgeon, and bearing straight down on their highly 

 excited enemy. " Bang " goes the gun and " bang " once more, 

 and the second shot is followed by a thud close to me, and I 

 hastily gather up the dainty bird. Not a moment too soon either, 

 for I hear the stealthy approach of little Pepper, who has come 

 to steal something for her master. Again my companion fires, 

 and again I hear that satisfactory thump which denotes a duck 

 very much out of his element Now is a long pause ; but there 

 go some ducks and teal two hundred yards to the south'ard out 

 of shot ; then two more come over me and I miss them both 

 in fine style. 



It gets lighter and lighter, and the reflection of the thousands 

 of lamps in Liverpool dies away from the sky. Suddenly Mat 

 yelled " Look out, Sir," and, like a flash, over a dozen widgeon 

 came past me very low down. I knocked one over with my 

 first barrel and missed with the second. Then Mat rose from 

 his uncomfortable seat and walked up towards me, but he 

 had hardly got half way when he doubled up as if shot and 

 quietly raised his gun. " Boom " roared out old " Seapie Sam," 

 (very different from the genteel sound which my humble twelve 

 bore and E.G. powder gives) and then came a welcome " flop," 

 "flop." "Hie, fetch! good little dog," says old Mat and off 

 rushed Pepper to retrieve the slain. She runs up to the first, 

 sniffs at it, notices that it is as dead as a herring, so off she 



gallops after the other, which is just escaping into the sea. 

 H 



