Wild-Geese in Spain I21 
thereafter pass down the entire line of guns, possibly affording 
shots to each in turn. 
Two guns can then be effectively brought into action. 
Needless to add, the second must be handled with the utmost 
rapidity. 
In wet winters, when the marisma is submerged, “driving” 
is not available. Obviously you cannot place a line of guns, 
however keen, in six inches of water, much less in half-a-yard. 
My first impression of wild-goose driving (writes J.) was one of 
wonder that such intensely astute and wide-awake fowl would ever fly 
near, much less over so obvious a danger as the little loose semicircle of 
rosemary twigs behind which I lay prone on the barest of bare mud. 
Peering through between their naked stalks, I could plainly see the geese 
some half-mile away, and it seemed incredible that I should not be 
equally visible to them. Possibly the brown leaves on top of the twigs 
may have concealed me from the loftier anserine point of view, and the 
equestrian manceuvres beyond no doubt greatly aided the object. Any- 
way, the whole pack—three or four hundred, and proportionally noisy— 
did come right over me, and a wildly exciting moment it was, I can assure 
you! We had six or seven drives that day, and bagged twenty-eight 
splendid great grey geese, of which eight fell to my lot. 
I may perhaps be allowed to add (since such details are taken for 
granted, or regarded as unworthy of note by regular gunners of the 
marisma) that to-day we had no less than six times to cross and recross 
a broad marsh-channel called the Madre—floundering, splashing, slither- 
ing, and stumbling through 100 yards of mud and water full three- 
foot deep. It may be nothing (if you’re used to it), yet twice I’ve seen 
horses go down, and their riders take a cold bath, lucky if they didn’t 
broach their barrels! To follow Vasquez about the marisma is a job 
that requires special qualities that not all of us possess or (perchance 
fortunately ?) require to possess. 
The following instructions may be worth the attention of new 
beginners :— 
(1) Never fire till you are fairly certain to kill at least one. 
(2) Never rise or even move in your “hide” till the beat is 
entirely finished. 
(3) Reload at once; when big lots are being moved, two, 
three, or more chances may offer quite unexpectedly. 
(4) Wear suitably coloured clothes and head-gear, and never 
let the sun glint on the gun-barrels. 
(5) After firing, watch the departing geese till nearly out of 
