286 DUCK SHOOTING. 



"It's no use talking," said the captain, "these old 

 brant are getting too well educated for us." His re- 

 rnarks were drawn out by a bunch of 500 or 600 brant 

 that we had discovered, living at Flat Beach, and for 

 which we had rigged with the result of killing only- 

 seven. Although bunch after bunch had headed for 

 the decoys, they had a bad habit of rising in the air 

 when about two gunshots from the rig, to see whether 

 there was anything dangerous beyond the nice-looking 

 lot of decoys we had out. 



"If there had only been more young birds, I think 

 they would have done better," the captain continued. 

 "I don't know what we had better do next. I suppose 

 we might as well go east, as far as Old House Flat, 

 and look around." 



So we got sail on the sloop and stood east. We had 

 been working with the brant since the 20th of March, 

 and it was now the 3d of April, but as yet the big 

 flight of birds had not come on. We had been picking 

 them up, some days three, and others seven or eight, 

 and the season's score looked as if it would be slim. 

 But still we had a good comfortable thirty-foot sloop, 

 with a large cabin and plenty of good things to eat, and 

 we could afford to wait and see. 



We reached Old House Flat about dark and an- 

 chored close under the beach. 



"I don't like the looks of the weather," the captain 

 remarked, as we were tying up the sails. "I am afraid 

 we are in for an easter." After supper we went on 

 deck to take a last look at the weather, and things did 



