1 08 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



perhaps a pheasant. When a plausible native stopped my 

 rickshaw, and entreated my man to make me alight and come 

 with him ; as he could guide me to a place, where hundreds of 

 snipe were to be shot. I was at first very sceptical, but as my 

 rickshaw man also added his persuasions, I was at last induced to 

 follow the ruffian " alack a day." I left my conveyance in the 

 road, and we at once struck into a paddy path. After walking for 

 about four miles, in as nearly as I could judge, an opposite 

 direction to that which I was previously going, we suddenly arrived 

 at a sea wall, and I could at once perceive that my guide was 

 puzzled ; the reason being obvious. 



The beggar had brought me all this way to shoot stints and 

 snippets, (or what the Yankees call " beach birds "), on the tide 

 washed mud flats beyond the sea-wall, but unfortunately he had not 

 calculated on the tide being up, which proved to be the case. How- 

 ever, there was yet hope for the reward there was still the top of a 

 small mud island peeping above the incoming water, and on which 

 was perched a solitary piper. This he pointed out with great glee, 

 making frantic signs for me to pot it and there and then did the 

 situation dawn upon me in full, and I grasped the enormity of the 

 " sell." 



I WAS disgusted. Further, I regret to say I am not of a philo- 

 sophical turn of mind ; and during the brief moments of my extreme 

 anger, nothing would have given me greater satisfaction, than to 



