THE STANCHION-GUN IN SPAIN. 403 



was reached, not a single solid point presented itself to our 

 aim. Opportunities there were to kill, say, a dozen or 

 more, but these paltry chances were declined without 

 second thought. In the result, some two or three hours' 

 careful work — " flattened " on our chests all the time — were 

 not rewarded by a single shot from the big gun. 



Towards evening we observed flights of duck — -chiefly 

 wigeon — pouring in constant streams towards some low 

 mud-islets which afforded cover for approach. Behind 

 these we lay for an hour, awaiting the gloaming, but the 

 short southern twilight proved a serious obstacle. In 

 the few minutes occupied in " shoving out " from our 

 shelter towards the floating phalanxes in front (we had 

 awaited the last possible moment) the light had disappeared, 

 and it became impossible to distinguish objects on the water, 

 though those in air were yet clear enough. There were, 

 we knew, hundreds of ducks before the gun ; but the 

 shot — like nine-tenths of those fired at haphazard — was 

 a failure. Fifteen wigeon and two pintails lay dead ; the 

 cripples, if any, it was impossible to recover in the gloom ; 

 and we sadly started to " pole " the long leagues home- 

 wards, reflecting on the singular uncertainty of sports 

 mundane. 



This day thus realized 42 ducks — 17 to the punt and 25 

 to the cabresto : though, had we followed the latter system 

 alone, the total would have been much heavier, while every 

 available chance was given to the punt-gun, which never, 

 until after dark, produced a feather. 



As a contrast we will briefly outline the results of our 

 next day's shooting, employing the trained pony alone. 

 The artillery used was a single 4-bore and a double 12 : six 

 shots were fired, and the net result was 82 duck, besides 

 minor spoils. The day was perhaps more favourable, since, 

 March having now commenced, the fowl were congregating 

 into those closely-packed corros, or hordes, which mark 

 the preliminary stage to departure. Thus, one broadside 

 to-day realized 32 wigeon, and another should have done 

 better, but for a "hang-fire." Still there was nothing 

 exceptional about the day's results. We have often much 



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