224 



TJic American Aiii^Ur. 



morass. Red heads, blue teal, white 

 brant, grey geese, black canvasbacks, 

 brown mallards, and yellow legs, strug- 

 gle on terms of perfect equality, for 

 recognition before the convention. No 

 tariff or silver problem bothers them. 

 The onh' question before the house (or, 

 perhaps, the lake) is, who shall get the 

 first show at the spoils, a common con- 

 dition in conventions. But, Doctor, no 

 massacre; no Armenian horrors shall 

 be perpetrated here. Naught but 

 gentle assassination, enough to supply 

 our present wants, no more, which, if 

 my appetite does not deceive me, will 

 be great. Look at that ; a snow storm 

 of ducks, the flakes of all colors, white 

 and black, grey and brown. Now 

 select your bird, and gently murder 

 him as he goes by. Only load one 

 barrel, and call your shot before you 

 make it. There comes one now, from 

 the distant shores of fair Chesapeake, 

 a mallard drake. " Bang! "Good! Get 

 him, Pepe. Nevermore wall dudish 

 sportsman of Gotham pop at you; " and 



so we pass the morning, with fancy 

 shots at selected birds. 



Those trees in the distance are 

 olives, ash and willows, surrounding 

 and shading the manor house of Tex- 

 esquite, a low, rambling stru6lure of 

 cut stone, adobe, grass roof and poles, 

 representing two centuries and three 

 styles of architedlure ; and there our 

 voyage will end. From the front 

 porch, to-morrow, we will take our last 

 shot at the birds as they feed in that 

 dam, but fifty yards distant ; and then 

 wend our way, mounted on Don Gume- 

 sindo's horses, to the station, on our 

 return trip to dull and monotonous 

 civilization. 



Adios, you honking, squawking, 

 quacking visitors from distant climes, 

 who gave our modern millionaire the 

 idea of southern flights. Good-bye, 

 you democratic discoverers. Colum- 

 buses, clad in feathers, who first ex- 

 plored these lakes, and still inhabit 

 them, good-bye. 



