166 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



ing began on that day, and thought I would take 

 my gun with me on a million to one chance (never 

 having seen a duck in those parts on August i). I 

 was stepping over a stile not more than twenty yards 

 from my cottage door, when it began to drizzle. 

 My gun was beautifully clean. As there was no 

 object in getting it into a mess, I took it back. A 

 few minutes afterwards nine duck came along about 

 fifteen yards up, and just as they came over my 

 head seven of them were in a bunch. 



