The swallows flew in tight, fast groups and were easy to down. The spotted red shanks came in clusters and were not too difficult to shoot. But the bird coming now, from the south, low over the reed-beds, was a true target for a marksman. He knew the markings of the harrier, could recognize them with his binoculars at half a kilo metre distance. It was a worthy target: those birds always flew singly, low, at near to fifty kilometres per hour, a ground speed of 140 metres in ten seconds. A marsh harrier would pay for his weekend's cartridges: his friend, Pierre, the amateur taxidermist, always paid well for a raptor, and top price for a marsh harrier. He crouched, his breath coming in short spurts. The bird had such good sight, but he was low down and hidden by the marsh fronds.

He rose and aimed. The bird was straight ahead and would pass directly over him. He could see the ginger-capped crown of the bird and the ruff at its neck. It would be a juvenile, but it had fed well in the African winter. He fired. For a moment the bird dipped, bucked, then fell. The dog bounded forward, splashing into the marsh water. He fired the second barrel and shouted, urging the dog forward into the wall of reeds. He was still reloading when the bird came past him, within five metres. Its flight was level to his head, and then it was past. It had a laboured, fractured flight, the wings beat unevenly. His hands shook and a cartridge dropped from his fingers into the water. He howled in frustration. When the gun was loaded and the dog was back beside him, he swung. The bird was beyond range but he heard its scream. He watched it for a long time, with his eye, then with the binoculars. It went north, for La Rochelle. If it had the strength, it would pass by the estuary at Nantes and the river at Rennes, then reach the Channel coast. He thought his pellets had hit the muscle, ligament or tendons in the wing, but not the bone: bone fracture would have brought it down. From the look of it, the bird would not survive a crossing of the Channel to an English landfall.