My First Woodcock. 115 



over ; he then came back again to the bush 

 and gave tokens that there was something else 

 there^ but he did not know how to get it out. 

 After kicking and beating about the bush for 

 some time I got a stick and poked into it, 

 when out came a cock, which I killed. 



We then went off to a snipe-bog, but only 

 found a few birds in it. However, we got a 

 leash, and marked down four teal, which came 

 from no one knew where, they went by us at 

 such a pace ; and we were .not ready for them, 

 so that we did not get a shot. But teal have 

 a convenient habit of not going very far, so 

 having walked up to the place where we had 

 marked them down, they got up rather wild ; 

 but we got a brace, and after marking the 

 others down several times, and putting them up 

 without getting a shot, the ground we were on 

 being very difficult walking, as we had to jump 

 frpm tussock to tussock to avoid being bogged ; 

 but I suppose they got tired, for at last they 

 lay like stones, and we managed to overhaul 

 them both. A principle I have always adopted 

 is, when I have once flushed game, to follow 

 it up as long as there is a chance to account 

 for it, instead of beating for fresh game. 



