active than I am now. I was one morning at
my post, as usual, before daybreak. I had tied my decoy pigeon to the
_cimeaux_, and he was fluttering about like a mad thing, when I fancied I
saw by the light of the stars something perched upon my pine-tree.
Unfortunately it was too dark for me to distinguish whether this something
were a bat or a bird, so I remained quite quiet, waiting for the sun to
rise. At last the sun rose and I saw that it was a bird. I raised my gun
gently to my shoulder, and, when I was sure of my aim, I pulled the
trigger. Sir, I had omitted to discharge my gun on returning from shooting
the evening before. It had been twelve hours loaded, and it hung fire.

"'Nevertheless I saw by the way in which the bird flew that he was touched.
I followed him with my eyes till he perched again. Then I looked for my
pigeon; but by an extraordinary chance a shot had cut the string which
tied him, and he had flown away. Without a decoy I knew very well it was
no use remaining at the post, so I resolved to follow up the thrush. I
forgot to tell you, gentlemen, that the bird I had fired at was a thrush.

"'Unluckily I had no dog. When one shoots with a decoy, a dog is worse
than useless--it is a positive nuisance. I was obliged, therefore, to beat
the bushes myself. The thrush had run along the ground, and rose behind me
when I thought I still had him in front. At the sound of his wings I
turned and fired in a hurry. A shot thrown away, as you may suppose.
Nevertheless I saw some feathers fall from him.'

"'You saw some feathers?' cried Mery.

"'Yes, sir. I even found one, which I put in my buttonhole.'

"'In that case,' said Mery, 'the thrush was hit?'

"'That was my opinion at the time. I had not lost sight of him, and I
continued the pursuit; but the bird was scared, and this time flew away
before I got within range. I fired all the same. There is no saying where
a stray shot may go.'

"'A stray shot is not enough for a thrush,' said Mery, shaking his head
gravely. 'A thrush is a very hard-lived bird.'

"'Very true, sir; for I am certain my two first shots had wounded him, and
yet he made a third flight of nearly half a mile. But I had sworn to have
him, and on I went. Impossible to get near him. He led me on, mile after
mile, always flying away as soon as I came within fifty or sixty paces. I
became furious. If I had caught him I think I should have eaten him alive,
and the more so as I was beginning to