156 INDIAN DUCKS 



also being shot by four guns, so that the clucks were being con- 

 tinually driven towards me. I knew if I could once get my punt 

 through the ice I should be iu for a good thing. For an hour and a 

 half we laboured to get through. By dint of using two heavy poles 

 ■\ve reached the place, and then broke up sufficient of the ice to 

 picket out four decoy ducks, two mallards, and live tame ducks, 

 which were accustomed to be shot over. The punt was hidden by 

 some grass, and in it I lay on my back with my shoulders propped 

 up by a large sack of grass ; there was not sufficient cover to enable 

 me to hide if I had sat up, in fact I had to supplement the little 

 there was by some reeds which a fisherman took off his roof and 

 sold to me. 



" I could see thousands of ducks in front, on the water, looking 

 like a black mass, whilst the edge of the ice was lined with many 

 more. By the aid of glasses I could make them out to be chiefly 

 Mallards and Red-Crested Pochards ; of course those birds which 

 had l^een behind and tolerably close had cleared off. The second 

 punt was sent back by the way we came, and was then carried 

 round by land to where the open water touched the edge of the 

 marsh. In the middle of the pond in front, was a small island ; on 

 to this a hardy duck shikari managed to get, and then lay hid : his 

 orders were to liide, and when the ducks had settled to put them up. 

 In addition to the advantage of my post, I was immediately in the 

 line of flight between the Hokasai and Anchar Lake. 



" I had started early ; the Hokasai party were to begin at noon, 

 but I had not lieen long in position before the fun began. Thousands 

 streamed over, and many pitched on my marsh, but as they came 

 to the right I could not do much when reclining on my back ; soon 

 they began to i\\ i)ackwards and forwards over my head, and this 

 they continued to do for hours. I counted over eighty birds down 

 before I sat up to eat my lunch. They were on the ice in every 

 direction ; two or tln-ee fell so close that I could gather them from 

 the boat. One fell into my cartridge-box. Whilst eating and having 

 a smoke the birds were flying around, Init were left to their own 

 ways ; and then I lay down again, the ice liad thawed in places, and 

 the wounded birds had wandered away. I stopped all I could reach, 

 but that was not many. In the afternoon tlie Teal began to fly 

 round and looked for open water, but none of the big flights would 

 come near me. Single birds came at short intervals ; my cartridges 

 were nearly finished, so I whistled for the men, but they could not 

 hear me ; the shooting on Hokasai ceased, and nearly all the ducks 

 left, now and again a Mallard or Gadwall came flying round the 

 decoys, and tell an easy prey to the .... powder. 



" My men did not remember liow long it would take to reach me ; 

 consequently it was nearly dark before I could begin to move, and 



