IN THE MARSH. 139 
nition at travellers and mud-hens, and finally going 
home disgusted, carrying the report that there weren’t 
but few ducks, and what were flying, flew so high one 
couldn’t reach them with any shot-gun. 
“Within the last half-hour I have noticed at least 
twenty different lots, mostly mallards, drop into some 
place off at our right. We will pick up our decoys 
and go down there. I know the spot well, and we will 
get some good shooting. Don’t you know it’s every- 
thing to hunt ducks successfully, to know the lay of 
the land? If you ever go to a strange place to shoot, 
expecting to stay two or three days, by all means put 
in the first half day prowling around getting acquaint- 
ed with the country; it will pay you todoso. I will 
hold the boat steady, and you pick up the decoys. AlI- 
ways propel the boat against the wind when picking up 
decoys, then you have no difficulty; whereas, if you 
come down the wind the boat will drift past some, and 
you will have extra trouble and labor in gathering them. 
Pretty cold work, isn’t it? Yes, itis. But it has to be 
done, and must be done bare-handed. On a day like 
this it’s all right, but take a day when the thermometer 
registers zero or below, and I can assure you there is 
no pleasure in picking them up. No! no! don’t wrap 
the cords around their necks like that,—it takes too 
long. Hand it to me, and I will show you how. See, 
commence wrapping at the right side of the breast, 
then bring the cord over the back and under the tail; 
now wrap from under the tail over the back again to 
the left of the breast. Keep this up till you have about 
a foot of cord left. Twist that around the neck, and 
your decoy is ready to put away. Notice the body is 
oval in shape and wraps easily. Now try it yourself. 
