io 4 SPORTS AND ANECDOTES. 



other is what has to be considered. Many young be- 

 ginners, or those who are not used to such a delicate 

 art, fancy that because they have a flock of fifty 

 or sixty ducks before them they have nothing to 

 do but say, " Share it amongst you ; " whereas an old 

 hand will see his line in a moment, and what is called 

 " cut a gutter through them " ; and if he can't get a 

 line of birds he will either not pull at all, or wait 

 patiently till he sees a good opportunity to dispense 

 his favours amongst them. Old Sam Singer, who 

 was, perhaps, the best gunner extant, said to me one 

 day that he never pulled unless he was quite sure of 

 getting six or seven. 



I remember meeting the said old Sam Singer one 

 morning on the Firth of Forth ; he had been out 

 all night, and was slowly paddling his punt home to 

 Kincardine with the tide. I was in a small steam 

 yacht, on which I carried my double-handed punt, 

 and which was then towing behind the yacht. I 

 hailed the old fellow and took him on board. It was 

 a real cold morning. " Will you have something to 

 eat, Sam ?" said I. " Well, thank you, sir, I don't 

 mind if I do ; for I'm pretty hungry, I can tell you. 

 I finished my bit of plum-pudding and my rum-and- 

 water long afore it was light, and as IVe been out 



