\ X'- V.' 



HADJ AND 



strance, "Surely it amuses to shoot 

 the large bird ? " But I had my eye 

 the while on the smaller bird, Mr. 

 Snipe, and I could see him slipping 

 away in twos and threes, and soaring 

 high for a distant flight. 



At length, step by step, we drew 

 up towards the end of the beat — it 

 would soon be a matter for standing 

 still to let the birds get up one by 

 one : slower and slower we went. 

 Suddenly Pierre on the bank began 

 a hurried appeal at the top of his 

 voice to us to come for a real chance 

 of "gibier," and he started running 

 along the bank past the end of the 

 bog ; a moment later and the captain 

 was pounding and splashing after 

 him straight through the middle of 

 the cover. Snipe were rising like a 

 183 



