156 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



storm, whose sullen clouds I could see frowning 

 over the hills behind me. Just as I was con- 

 gratulating myself on escaping the edge of this 

 storm, a streak of lightning danced round the wire 

 within a few inches of me, followed by a crack- 

 splutter-crack. I thought the lightning had fouled 

 the cartridges in my pocket, when bang ! Such 

 a bang ! Fearing a second barrel, I lost no time 

 in putting some yards between myself and my gun 

 and cartridges. Meanwhile I believe every one 

 of the hundreds of pigeons in the wood had dashed 

 out and away with the wind. After a long mad 

 flight, they turned and streamed back to the wood. 

 Every pigeon came within twenty yards of my 

 head. I forgot my fright, recovered my gun, and 

 had the most furious minutes of my life. I fired 

 well, no matter how many shots, but I pulled down 

 over thirty fat pigeons. 



When the corn is ripe and hard and thirst- 

 creating, shooting which need not be despised 

 may be had by waiting within shot of a pond 

 in a quiet spot. You need a comfortable hut, 

 from which you can move out quickly and noise- 

 lessly so soon as a pigeon has settled at the 

 pond. It is all the better if the water in the 

 pond is considerably below the level of a sloping 

 bank. Should there be a tree near the pond, 

 most of the pigeons will settle in it before drinking ; 

 in which case, if two guns arrange to show them- 



