Duck-shooting 25 



many places intersect the marshes, the pusher 

 shoves his craft, with the gunner seated in the 

 bow and ready. A swish of wings from the dry 

 rushes, and he finds himself startled by a flock of 

 blackbirds ; a bittern flops from the grass, and 

 with a croak protests against intrusion. Now a 

 bend is rounded, and close to the bank, a few feet 

 in front, sit half a dozen teal. Instantly they 

 jump, the first shot misses, the second, steadier, 

 breaks a wing, and the first bird of the season 

 drops, a cripple ; the shots start half a dozen flocks, 

 and the skiff is quickly pushed into the grass. 

 In a moment four birds cut by, and as they sheer 

 off from the gun, string out in a line. The first 

 is well led, but at the report, the last closes up his 

 wings and falls with the splash of a dead bird. 

 A few more shots at passing birds, and you push 

 on. Soon with startled quacking a half-dozen 

 black ducks spring into the air, leaving one 

 behind, hard hit with the first, dropped dead with 

 the second shot ; and so on through the early 

 morning. Occasionally the pusher calls in an 

 uncertain flock, but most of the successful shots 

 are at birds jumping in close range, for under 

 these circumstances the speed of flight is not 

 great. This method of duck-hunting belongs 

 only to the early fall, before the young birds have 

 learned wisdom from experience. 



Later in the autumn these same resorts wel- 



