92 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
‘Now you watch me and see if you can tell where the 
pea is.’ 
‘The stylish chap made a lot of motions with his hands 
and stuck down his three shells on a little table. 
‘“‘Which one is the pea under?’ he says. 
“TIT touched one of the shells; he lifted it up and 
there was the pea. 
‘“*Bet you can’t do that again,’ says he. 
‘“‘T guessed right again. 
‘“““Bet you two dollars you can’t do that again,’ said 
the stylish chap in a peeved manner. 
‘‘T didn’t like to say so,’’ remarked Jimmy thought- 
fully, ‘‘but I knew where the pea was and I just thought 
I would teach the stylish chap a lesson; but I didn’t do 
it, the pea wasn’t there. I lost two plunks quicker than 
you can wink. 
“The feller threw the shells round again and I saw 
him stick the pea under the middle shell. 
‘““‘Come on,’ said the stylish feller, ‘want to try 
another two dollars Rube?’ 
‘““My name ain’t Rube’ says I, ‘it’s James.’ 
‘““Oh! excuse me .. .’ Watch out,’ whispered 
Jimmy, ‘‘there’s a big bunch rising from that raft of 
ducks out there; they may settle back again, though 
mebbe they’ll come this way. Say! They’re coming!” 
I peeked over the blind; a regular mob of teal, at least 
a hundred, were coming. Our decoys were put out just 
right, in the shape of a half moon. One end narrowed 
up close to the blind, the other end narrowed up forty 
yards out in the water. The decoys were the thickest 
in the center space of the half moon. The ducks as 
they were headed would have passed a hundred yards 
away. But they saw the decoys and veered in until 
they were only thirty yards outside of the farthest 
