312 DUCK SHOOTING. 



gathered, the bar smoothed off, ready for another crack 

 at them. 



"How many?" asks Washy, as he stops to take 

 breath. 



"Nineteen and two decoys — twenty-one all told," 

 quickly responds H. 



"Well done," says Washy, and it seemed to give him 

 a heap of comfort as he placed that decoy in the basket. 



"But look, you," says M. ; "there go nine right up for 

 the North Bar." 



"Precisely !" ejaculates Washy, hardly yet recovered 

 from his long tramp. Puff, puff ! Away out in the dim 

 distance rises the smoke, and the flock is reduced to 

 four. Not much time elapsed before a brace of black 

 ducks {Anas obscura) were swimming in for the 

 Gravel. The guns were brought to bear, and in a few 

 minutes they were quietly reposing on the bottom of 

 the box. The brant had for some time been feeding in 

 the channel between Monomoy and Nanset. The regu- 

 lar feeding ground extends from near the Mud Hole to 

 the inner point, a distance of two miles. In passing 

 from one to the other, as they do on each tide, feeding 

 in the channel at high tide and at Inner Point at low 

 tide, they are very likely to receive a salute as they pass 

 in review before the boxes, A shot from the Gravel 

 started a large flock from the inner harbor, and as they 

 lifted and moved majestically along westward, it was 

 like a huge black cloud, so thick and dark. On it moved 

 toward the Gravel, and, strange to say, notwithstand- 

 ing the water was quite shoal, and in some places near- 



