266 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



extremely hot, and left for the station escorted by- 

 friends and admirers still condoling with them and 

 giving advice, this time free of cost. 



A fowler or a fowler's puntsman never has dealings 

 with such people ; he simply scorns them and their 

 money too. But prowlers and combers can be found 

 on most fore-shores, and to wait on such would be 

 an experience such as I have sketched. Men have 

 left places where thousands of Wigeon alone, to say 

 nothing of other fowl, fed at each ebb-tide, and told 

 their friends that not one bird of any kind had they 

 seen. They had not seen them for the excellent 

 reason that it had not been intended that they should. 

 One of my oldest friends when he was living, used 

 to say that " a fool aboord a boat was a wusser o' a 

 cargo, and some on 'em ashore was wuss still." 



In the day-time the Wigeon were out at sea, like 

 the ducks coming in to feed on the sea-grass at 

 dusk, night, or in the grey of the morning, according 

 as the tide suited. If the weather were fair, flight- 

 ing and punt-creeping answered, as when food was 

 being easily got at very little noise moved the birds. 

 Noise was never intentionally made, but accidents, 

 such as a punt getting aground, will sometimes take 

 place in spite of all precautions. They well know 

 what that grinding hiss means. Or perhaps a paddle 

 will hit the sides of the punt, such things do and will 

 occur. You may feel happy in the fancy that for 

 once all will go quite right. The punt as you paddle 

 is just below the ooze-level, and the birds are pretty 

 close ; you can hear them mew and purr. The mud- 



