DUCK SHOOTING O'N THE ILLINOIS RIVER 1 43 



shot jointly and divide up if we got any ducks. I agreed 

 and we went back some distance, made a detour, and 

 came out opposite the ducks. Then we saw that there 

 were mallards, teal, sprigs and bluebills scattered along 

 the bank for a hundred yards. It was a regular family 

 party and it was a shame to disturb them. 



They began to get uneasy, as some of them further 

 out saw us. The farmer was for getting nearer, but I 

 told him no, we had better take the chance we had. So 

 we opened fire simultaneously. We got down five mal- 

 lards, three dead and two wounded. The farmer re-shot 

 one of the winged ones, waded out and picked up a nice 

 mallard hen that was near shore and said: ''You can 

 have the rest. I have to go back to where I left my 

 team up in the woods." 



My boat was some distance back, the current is fairly 

 strong along this part of the river and by the time I had 

 overtaken the ducks they had floated a half mile and were 

 on the other side of the river, carried there by the stiff 

 wind blowing. I gathered three of them. The fourth 

 one was a female mallard swimming down the middle of 

 the river with her head up. I knew from her actions 

 that she could fly. One of these strange things that 

 happen in duck shooting. A shot had probably grazed 

 the skull, temporarily dazing her. I backed quietly to- 

 ward her, splashed a little with the oar, and when she 

 sprang into the air, gave her a finishing shot. 



