156 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 
storm, whose sullen clouds I could see frowning 
over the hills behind me. Just as I was con- 
gratulating myself on escaping the edge of this 
storm, a streak of lightning danced round the wire 
within a few inches of me, followed by a crack- 
splutter-crack. I thought the lightning had fouled 
the cartridges in my pocket, when—bang! Such 
a bang! Fearing a second barrel, I lost no time 
in putting some yards between myself and my gun 
and cartridges. Meanwhile I believe every one 
of the hundreds of pigeons in the wood had dashed 
out and away with the wind. After a long mad 
flight, they turned and streamed back to the wood. 
Every pigeon came within twenty yards of my 
head. I forgot my fright, recovered my gun, and 
had the most furious minutes of my life. I fired— 
well, no matter how many shots, but I pulled down 
over thirty fat pigeons. 
When the corn is ripe and hard and _thirst- 
creating, shooting which need not be despised 
may be had by waiting within shot of a pond 
in a quiet spot. You need a comfortable hut, 
from which you can move out quickly and noise- 
lessly so soon as a pigeon has settled at the 
pond. It is all the better if the water in the 
pond is considerably below the level of a sloping 
bank. Should there be a tree near the pond, 
most of the pigeons will settle in it before drinking ; 
in which case, if two guns arrange to show them- 
