70 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
I let out a couple of low toned ‘Ah Unk’s,’ just enough 
to interest them into taking notice of the decoys. 
They came right over me, not over forty yards high. 
I nailed four more that time. ”’ 
““That was great. Say, Jimmy; what is the chance 
of our getting a crack at them some morning?”’ 
“‘T’ll watch where they use,’’ replied Jimmy, ‘“‘and if 
there’s a chance we'll give them a whirl. But say,’ 
said Jimmy, ‘‘I don’t shoot geese with only two shells 
in my pump gun like I’m doing to-day on ducks.” 
When all was quiet again, I said to Jimmy, ‘‘ How did 
you come out with your conductor friend?”’ 
“‘Oh; I just told him I was going ‘to California to see 
the flowers and orange groves. We don’t have any 
where I live.’ The conductor grabbed me by the collar 
and gave meashake. ‘Spit out your yarn quick now 
or I'll chuck you off.’ 
““Tf you do that,’ said I, ‘how can I measure the 
distance between San Pedro and San Francisco?’ 
“The conductor dropped my collar. ‘Why didn’t 
you say that in the first place? Who do you know up 
the line?’ 
~ Bill: Carstairs,” said I. 
‘““Oh,”’ said the conductor, ‘you’re a friend of Car- 
stairs are you? He’sallright. I don’t know him but he 
always passes my friends along. Well, just make your- 
self as comfortable as possible, this mountain run is 
pretty slow and rough. Say; got any chewin’?’ 
“‘California is all right,’’ said Jimmy reminiscently, 
‘‘provided you have money and can turn loose a dollar 
a day for expenses but I only had six bits in my jeans. 
That afternoon I got a job cuffing riding horses in a 
stable catering to tourists. At the end of a week, I 
never wanted to see another horse as long as I lived or 
