HINTS ON PUNTING TO FOWL 261 
seen the cripples scattering in all directions. Quick up and 
dispatch the cripples! This, by the way, is no matter-of- 
form game, and not so easy as one may be led to believe 
from our simple description of it. Crippled ducks in water 
are ten times worse to retrieve than a winged partridge or 
a pheasant in the thickest of cover; and, if the water is the 
least bit rough, more than half generally escape. 
With strong strokes of the pole, the punt shoots up to 
the dying, the wounded, and the dead, as the gunner busies 
himself with the ‘‘cripple-stopper,”’ shooting what crippled 
fowl he can. One cripple has taken four shots to bag him, 
as he scurries off with only his head visible out of water. 
The shot, being taken at killing range, has proved very 
deadly, leaving few cripples, though, despite all skill and 
every exertion to gather all the wounded, two or three escape, 
helped along with the tide. Attention must now be paid to 
the dead birds, which lie like so many small tufts of sea-weed 
floating slowly along on the tide. Ashore jumps one of the 
‘punters, and wades about in the shallow water until every 
dead bird is gathered. He has taken the wise precaution 
of equipping himself with an oar so as to feel his way, lest 
he should step in a deep drain or creek. 
All the fowl gathered, the work of half an hour’s chasing, 
the fowlers are bound for harbour, glad to get free of their 
situation, which, though, ordinarily speaking, it has been one 
of smooth water, is yet rough enough to half fill their shallow 
craft ; for, as the rising tide boils and eddies over the shallow 
flats, the tiniest of what are known as “breakers,” ripples or 
lippers over the coaming of a duck-punt. They have done 
their work for one tide, for surely sixty or seventy plump 
mallards are enough for one day’s sport ; besides, the cockpit 
seems nearly gun-beam deep with fowl—a capital shot ! 
Perhaps some of our readers may have heard of this par- 
ticular shot. To those who have not seen it chronicled before, 
