JIMMY’S TRIP TO CALIFORNIA 71 
a tourist either. One night when eating dinner, a 
couple of fellows came in, sat at the same table, and we 
got acquainted. They were waiters on a steamboat 
running into San Francisco and I got a job waiting 
along with them.— 
‘‘Hush,”’ said Jimmy, ‘‘keep down; a couple of 
spoonbills have dropped in behind us just inside the 
decoys. Look through the tules, there’s a splendid 
chance fora double.’”’ I looked; they were swimming in 
the water but pretty wide of the decoys. The birds 
as usual were suspicious and watchful just after alight- 
ing. They saw me move and jumped high in air. I 
dropped the first bird but missed the second shot behind 
him. Instantly there was a roar like thunder in my 
ears. The duck I missed hit the water like a wet rag. 
Jimmy had fired his pump gun. 
Nobody said anything. I lighted a cigar and then 
turned to Jimmy. ‘“‘How did you know they were 
spoonbills and just a pair?”’ 
‘“That’s easy,’ said Jimmy. “I heard two birds 
light; they splashed down too heavy for teal and not 
strong enough for mallard. There’s lots of spoonbills on 
the move to-day and that’s why I called the turn.”” It 
sounded simple when you knew. 
““A waiter sees lots of human nature,’’ continued 
Jimmy thoughtfully. ‘‘People are either generous, 
moderate,ormean. You get a quarter, dime, ora thank 
you. About the third meal, the ‘thank yous’ get tepid 
coffee and all the drumsticks. Cigars were cash at the 
cigar counter. Say, now. Suppose some chap sitting 
at a table after dinner gave you a dollar to buy four 
cigars and said keep the change. What would you do?”’ 
‘“Get four two bit cigars,”’ said I promptly. 
“It don’t work out that way,” replied Jimmy; ‘‘the 
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