6 RAMBLES AFTER SPORT. 



and a long 9 single,, to which latter Master Bill imme- 

 diately took a violent fancy, and he appropriated it 

 forthwith. I also hired from an ironmonger in the town 

 a short heavy shoulder-gun, about 5-bore I should say, 

 a sort of young cannon, which, carried, more or less, a 

 good handful of Bristol B.'s. The ironmonger said it 

 was " a powerful ^^ weapon, and certainly if kicking- 

 means power, it was a very powerful piece. Even Bill 

 was a trifle scared at it. Besides these we had a light 

 14 for ^^ cripples.''^ Our plan was simply as follows : To 

 sail up to birds on the wind in harbour, and outside 

 when possible; when there was no wind, to go to the 

 creeks or " latches " as they are called, in the punt after 

 small " trips " of birds or single ones even. To keep an 

 eye on old Dan in his punt, and have some fun with 

 his '^ cripples j ^^ and I determined if possible to persuade 

 that worthy by eloquence or coin, or both, to take me 

 out one night gunning in a regular gunning punt. 

 I reckoned that this bill of fare, with an hour or two 

 of "flighting^' morning and evening, would satisfy a 

 gourmand. 



The morning was bitterly cold — a clear black frost ; 

 Bill busied himself in spreading out the trusses of straw 

 at the bottom of the " quarter-deck,^^ and I placed one 

 conveniently at the bows ; by Ted^s advice also, I 

 wrapped two strawbands round my legs, very much to 

 my comfort. Ted took the helm, while Bill was my 

 factotum for ammunition, loading guns, &c. ; and as we 

 gently dropped down Poole Harbour on the ebb that 

 morning, with just a ^^wee drappie^' to our success, 

 there were not three merrier lads in the three kingdoms. 

 Poor Ted looked rather sleepy still; but he took another 

 '^ drappie," and soon brightened up again. Ah me, the 



