WILD DUCKS. 309 



splashing about our decoys we poured a heavy volley into 

 the densest part, and a score or two more gave their lives 

 as a forfeit for their credulous natures. 



When the remainder had fled we launched our boat 

 and commenced picking up the slain, while the dogs de- 

 voted all their attention to securing the wounded, and 

 this they did in the most admirable manner, for they 

 often passed birds which were splashing wildly in their 

 death struggles, and went after those that were making 

 efforts to escape. The ducks would dive on seeing the 

 dogs approaching, but the latter were evidently used to 

 this stratagem, for they rose, as it were, in the water, 

 and turned slowly in a circle, while they carefully 

 scanned the surface, and when a bird came up they 

 hastened towards it and captured it or sent it down again. 

 The chase continued in this manner until nearly all the 

 cripples were secured, for the retrievers followed a duck 

 until it died on the bottom through suffocation, or it was 

 shot by a member of the party. These dogs rushed into 

 the water without any orders on seeing a duck fall, but if 

 a shot was unsuccessful they remained as still as if they 

 were made of cast iron, and hardly blinked their feelings 

 of disappointment. We had good shooting at this point 

 until ten A. M., but the ducks ceased "trading" after 

 that, and settled in vast beds beyond gun range, or sought 

 safety in the surrounding morasses. We managed to se- 

 cure a few canvas-backs and red-heads by toling them 

 towards the shore with a gaily-colored handkerchief whicli 

 was tied to a stick and waved slowly over the blind, but 

 the greater number were too cautious to approach within 

 gun shot. Our guide told us that he had frequently 

 brought them near the land by making one of his re- 

 triever puppies gambol along the shore, and related sev- 

 eral instances in which lie had been unusually successful 

 witli this trick where all otlier means of obtaining a shot 

 had failed. Having seen this ruse performed more than 



