36 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
saw. Heacted more like a cock pintail than a spoonbill. 
If the decoys had not been there the spoonbill would 
probably have alighted, but the moment he had a near 
view of the decoys, he checked his downward flight and, 
rising almost out of shot, flew overhead. I gave him my 
full choked barrel but it was useless. 
‘“That was a wild beggar,’’ said Jimmy, “‘he didn’t 
like those mud decoys a little bit; guess somebody 
threw a charge of shot after him this morning.”’ 
“How did you come out on your bottled beer?”’ I 
asked. 
‘“‘T am almost ashamed to tell you,’’ replied Jimmy. 
‘Tt was two hours before my sport got up and waved his 
hat. As I rowed over to the sink box I had a ‘hunch’ 
that I had better take a good drink of water and not 
depend too much on the promised bottle of beer. 
‘““T see you had fine luck,’ says I to Blue Eyes, smiling 
my prettiest and counting about seventeen ducks 
scattered about in the mud and water. After that soft 
soap I got out of the boat and walked over to the sink 
box and looked in but couldn’t see any sign of a bottle. 
I just had to put a bold face on the matter, so I said, 
‘I’m about perished for a drink; is my bottle of beer 
handy?’ 
‘‘Blue Eyes raises his head and looks at me; his face 
cracks into a small smile, and ‘No,’ he says, ‘the beer’s 
gone!’ 
‘““GonE?’ said I, ‘gone where?’ 
‘“*Just gone,’ said Blue Eyes, ‘and I was just as sorry 
and perhaps as sad as you are now to see it go.’ 
‘““But my bottle didn’t go, did it?’ said I. ‘You 
mean your bottle has gone, don’t you?’ 
‘“*No,’ said Blue Eyes, ‘it wasn’t done that way, both 
bottles went together.’ 
