378 DUCK SHOOTING. 



ducking grounds stems of cane form the blind, or again 

 in other places branches of trees or bushes may be used. 

 In the following pages I have described the chief 

 features of this form of shooting as practiced on the 

 waters of Currituck Sound, in North Carolina, a re- 

 gion with which I am familiar : 



The sky was overcast and black; wind northeast, 

 temperature 28° ; prospect of snow or rain during the 

 day. I had eaten a good breakfast, had struggled into 

 the heavy outer clothing needed on a day like this, and 

 was just leaving the house when the clock struck 6. 

 This was in good time, for the sun did not rise until 7, 

 and it would take us less than an hour to get to our 

 point. 



Down at the boathouse John was waiting in the 

 skiff. Everything seemed to be there — guns, ammuni- 

 tion boxes, lunch kettle, my oil clothes — while from a 

 little coop under one of the thwarts came the low 

 chuckle of a live duck or two to be tied out with the 

 wooden decoys. 



The mast was stepped and we pushed out from the 

 little dock, the wind caught the sail, the boat heeled 

 over and began to glide swiftly along, with a pleasant 

 ripple of water under the bow and a stronger gurgle 

 under the stern. We had gone but a very short dis- 

 tance when the whir of wings and a splashing on the 

 water warned us that we had disturbed some ducks; 

 and a little later, vociferous quacking above the marsh 

 which we were skirting told of black ducks frightened 



