Duck-shooting 37 



back; in a minute they are all over me; as I sit 

 up ducks rise on all sides, and in the confusion 

 depart without a shot. A pair of black duck 

 come by the point toward the stool, a rare chance, 

 and I move too soon ; the birds were farther off 

 than they seemed ; but one, hard hit, turns off to 

 the farther point, and I trust him to Dan. The 

 steady flight has now decreased ; yet every little 

 while ducks hail the stool in twos and threes, and 

 there is plenty doing. A long, black line far out 

 on the water marks a bed of birds, and toward 

 this the smaller bodies lead ; before noon they 

 are all assembled and the morning shooting 

 ceases. I see Dan Petty shoving along the marsh. 

 He has half a dozen birds on the deck of the 

 punty, and the grand total is two dozen broad- 

 bill, a red-head, and a black duck. Half an hour 

 later we all get together aboard the sloop for 

 lunch. This particular day's shooting was one 

 of my pleasantest experiences in the battery. 

 The number of birds killed was small, but they 

 came in well, and few shots were missed. 



In battery shooting, birds coming in from 

 behind and on the right are very liable to 

 escape a right-handed gunner, and if possible 

 they should be decoyed from in front and to 

 the left. Great South Bay is still famous for 

 battery shooting; and, though cruelly shot, big 

 bags are now made, but the Long Island sports- 



