1 88 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



busy." (Snick!) — amiss-fire. Some one would utter 

 a very loud " damn ! " then you heard, " Got 'em 

 clean right an' left." Thud ! Then a faint " querk- 

 querk, quark." Thud again. Then some one would 

 try to get on with his gun at half-cock — such things 

 do take place at times with the best of fowlers in 

 the excitement of flight-shooting, so his chance was 

 gone, with that lot at least. The remarks he made 

 about things in general, himself included, when he 

 found out what was the matter would, as our folks 

 had it, have turned a fair-sized grindstone. 



As each man takes his place in flight-shooting, 

 and never moves from it — that was the rule then, and 

 one that was obeyed — -there was not the least cause 

 to challenge the shot. Each shooter knew the birds 

 that belonged to his gun. The fowl swish in and 

 out in companies ; not like a lot of Rooks, following 

 one another quickly, but generally with gaps be- 

 tween long enough to load in, if you are quick about 

 it. I am writing now about the good old muzzle- 

 loaders. No doubt the few ducks procured at that 

 lucky time would be laughed at now, for it is 

 quantity not quality that has come to the front with 

 us ; but they were killed clean and fit to look at 

 then, there were no "sink-holes" blown through 

 them. 



As duck decoys have been already fully described 

 in detail, I shall only give a few particulars from 

 my own personal knowledge, for at one time I 

 lived near a celebrated 'coy. A decoy for captur- 

 ing ducks is a very quiet piece of water, generally 



