274 ON SURREY HILLS. 



that never got frost-bitten about that spring, one not 

 used to the place would think it was little use staying 

 there. But we knew better; in a short time, from 

 our hiding-place, we would see the snipes shooting 

 high overhead once or twice, and then they would 

 pitch down into their favourite haunt once more. 

 The mallards were more cautious : they would dash 

 round many times, in large circles, before they 

 plumped down again, but after a time they did this 

 to be roused again as before. We did not kill every 

 bird we fired at, nor did we get all we did kill, 

 although we had a good water-spaniel. It was a 

 treacherous spot for moving about on ; the water was 

 full of weeds. We lost some of the mallards, for a 

 bird may be mortally hit, and yet have strength 

 enough left to dive when he falls. He gets entangled 

 in the thick weeds, is too weak to clear himself, and 

 so dies there, where he cannot be reached. It may 

 happen too that he drops just out of bounds, on 

 another man's part of the water. One finds some 

 folks so very tenacious of their rights in all such 

 small matters of flotsam and jetsam. It is not worth 

 while arguing with these. In my younger days I have 

 been guilty of using a small amount of physical force, 



