334 SHOOTING 



Many years ago very fair duck-shooting, and some 

 snipe as well, might he got on the Thames hetween 

 Marlow and Windsor, and this was a very luxurious 

 kind of wild-fowl shooting ; for all you had to do 

 was to hire a punt and a good puntsman who knew 

 the river well, and, wrapping yourself up comfort- 

 ably in a warm coat, drop down the river, going into 

 the quiet back waters and round the eyot-beds. In 

 favourable weather a good many ducks might be 

 found, and it was curious to notice how they would 

 hide themselves under the banks where they were 

 undermined by the stream, and the roots of the 

 osiers hung down. An old mallard would constantly 

 stay until fairly poked out ; and often when you 

 thought you had tried them thoroughly, after you 

 left an old fellow would rise and go quacking off. 

 The eyot-beds were favourite places for snipe ; but 

 you could not do much with these unless with a 

 steady old dog, who would poke slowly all over tlie 

 place, the stumps and stalks of the osiers entirely 

 preventing any walking. But now, I believe, this 

 style of shooting is at an end. 



My last attempt at duck-shooting was very excit- 

 ing, in fact rather too much so. A friend, who knew 

 my weakness for it, wrote and asked me to come to 

 his house, as I could get capital flight-shooting close 

 to his place. Of course I went, and in the evening 



