WADING THE MARSHES. 431 



laborious, for often the wading is deep, and from time 

 to time one steps into a muskrat hole, in which he may- 

 sink up to his waist, or even deeper. On the other 

 hand, the rewards of this toil may be great, since, as it 

 is practiced chiefly early in the season, the birds are 

 likely to be numerous and many of them so tame and 

 unsuspicious that sometimes they do not spring from 

 the water until the gunner is within a few feet of them. 



In work such as this a good dog is almost indispensa- 

 ble. Unless one has had great practice, the marking 

 down of a bird in the grass or reeds is difficult, even if 

 it falls close to one, while if a wounded bird scales 

 down a long way off, it is practically impossible for the 

 gunner to go to the place and find the game. The dog 

 should be well broken and should follow at heel, going 

 forward only at command and obeying the gestures of 

 the hand. If he is so trained he will save his master 

 many weary steps and will greatly increase the weight 

 of the bag. In no situation is a good dog more useful 

 than when one is wading the marsh. 



While this form of shooting is practiced much more 

 in wet countries than in dry, it is followed also with 

 very good results at certain places in the sage deserts 

 of the Rocky Mountains. In that country, water is 

 likely to be scarce, and wherever there is a lake with an 

 adjoining marsh, there the ducks, grebes, coots, and 

 other water birds, gather in great numbers to breed; 

 while added numbers stop during the migrations. 



Many years ago a little party of three or four men 

 had occasion to spend some weeks in the neighborhood 



