MORNING MALLARD SHOOTING FALL. 141 



There they go! (Bang! bang!) No, several have 

 suddenly concluded not to go, 1 should judge; 

 take my gun and shoot those cripples, if you 

 can. That's the way to do it ; seven more to 

 help the pile. A'n't they pretty little fellows? 

 And fat, too, as butter. Most delicious eating, as 

 you'll find to-morrow. 



Here we are at the pond. You can't see 

 much of it, though, this rice is so high ; but we 

 will land as we come out on this point to our 

 left, and then by climbing one of those tall trees 

 you can have a better view of it. If the pond 

 was new to me, that would be the first thing I 

 should do. I could then see where the ducks 

 were working most, and where the thin, open 

 patches were in the rice, and, by taking my 

 bearings properly, could go directly to them. 

 My back path, too, would be the most direct 

 way out. A person who didn't think ot this 

 might push around for hours without finding 

 many ducks, and when he did stop he could 

 not be sure of being in the best place ; then if he 

 could see nothing to determine his direct course 

 out (which he would have to break anew), he 

 would be compelled to follow his perhaps long 

 and circuitous route back. Now, put these little 



