SNIPE-SHOOTING. 115 
going away, scape, scaipe, scaipe, scaipe, as who should 
say, “deuce take the hindmost,” to the north-westward, 
ever as they flew and squeaked, calking up fresh legions 
over the wide flat, until there must have been above a 
hundred snipe in the air at once. 
At these, Charley did his work well, keeling a brace 
over, very neatly, one of which fell within a yard of 
Bob’s nose, who had gone down to charge without being 
bidden, the moment the report of the first shot followed 
the flash. The steady dog snuffed a little, and wagged 
his tail, but did not stir, though to increase the tempta- 
tion, the snipe, which was only wing-tipped, after turn- 
ing some twenty consecutive somersaults under his nose, 
made several ineffectual efforts to rise, springing four or 
five feet into the air, and screaming “ scape,” a qui micue. 
“ Wonderfully steady, indeed!” said Charley, in pro- 
found admiration—wonderfully steady. But that was a 
slashing shot of yours, that first one, Harry.” 
“Yes! it was some, as Bill Porter would say. I 
wanted to kill that chap for the dog’s sake, and would 
not have missed him for a trifle. Ihad no idea there 
were such a lot of them lying all around us. I never 
saw so-many birds on the ground in my life; ifit were 
a still, warm day, we should have rare sport. As it is, 
we will make outa bag. All this has turned out capi- 
tally. I would not be surprised, if you will give me five 
minutes to work the dogs after my own fashion, to see 
them stand the next bird, after we have retrieved these.” 
