D4dv WILD FOWL SHUOOTING. 
he can get to the water, and with his knife cut close to 
the water’s edge tall stalks of rice, twigs or willows, 
placing them around him to make a shield from the view 
of passing birds. Being without a boat he is laboring at 
great disadvantage, and standing in the slimy mud, 
which is soon chafed into the consistency of mortar, his 
patience and endurance are both thoroughly tested. 
Let us help the poor fellow out of his predicament, 
and draw from out the rushes our boat: place him in 
with us, and then secrete ourselves. We instantly see 
the foundation or an essential part of it ; in this swamp 
are muskrat houses and flags. We scoop the top off 
one of the largest houses, scatter it over bow and sides, 
completely covering the exposed sides of the boat. 
Near us tall rice stalks are waving, as if asking us to 
come in where they are; we accept the invitation, and 
go in by acircuitous route. Why? Soas not to show 
the opening from the direction where birds are ex- 
pected to come from. After we have gotten in pretty 
well, with our hunting knife we cut an armful of flags, 
shove the boat into the place started for, bend rushes 
over toward us, thus shielding the boat, or stick the oar 
blades into the mud athwart the bow, and intertwine 
rushes so as to make plenty of covering. ‘Then, per- 
haps, after having excellent sport here for hours, we 
determine to change our base and go to some willow 
flash. This we do, the boat is in the thick willows; 
our handy hatchet is used with destructive effect, and 
we peep through and notice daylight struggling through 
an almost impenetrable blind. We must not have it 
too high, for nothing must interfere with our aim,— 
just sufficiently high that we can, in sitting comfortably 
straight, look over the top, and when we fire have an 
