19 



feed. We halt again whilst Dan reconnoitres, which 

 consists in his putting his head first on one side and then 

 on the other, and looking all round as I have seen a fox 

 do when hunted in a thick covert. Meanwhile, the noiso 

 comes nearer and nearer, but is still an immense way off. 

 " Well, Tm blessed if I don't think there's every burd in 

 Poole 'Arbour in thick company; blessed if I don't 

 though; now look out and be careful, and if you don'fc 

 make a lane in 'em taint my fault." 



I went forward, and lay down behind the gun, with my 

 heart jumping into my mouth, and on we went ; it 

 seemed hours and hours. I thought we should never 

 arrive, and I was getting cramped by lying in one 

 position so long. By this time we had got so close that 

 we could hear the motion of their bills as they fed. As 

 yet I had not seen a feather, till Dan touched my foot, 

 which was the signal for me to look out, and see my birds 

 before sighting for a shot; I gently raised my head an 

 inch or two, but only saw in front of me what appeared 

 to be a long low mud bank, about 150 yards off; it 

 seemed odd, too, as the tide had nearly covered the bank 

 we were alongside of. I crouch down and look round at 

 Dan, as if to say " What's up ? where are they ?" He 

 understands, for he scarcely whispers " Them's the 

 burds." I look again, and sure enough what I had 

 thought was mud was in reality a solid mass of fowl ! 

 We were now within 100 yards, and I could see the 

 outside birds paddling about, just lifted^off their legs. I 

 trembled so with excitement, that I could scarcely shake 

 off my right mitten, ready for the shot. Another twenty 

 yards nearer — another twenty still — Dan touches my 

 foot, I squint along the tube, aiming at the nearest 

 birds. 



