SHOOTING IN THE ICE. 459 



came tearing and grinding up against the grounded 

 masses on the flats, and, completely shutting up the 

 channel, bore down on us, threatening to crush our frail 

 craft in the general rush and onward drift. Fending 

 ofif the dangerous pieces with our hooks, we finally 

 hauled the skiff up on a huge cake and felt compara- 

 tively safe as we floated down the river toward Penns- 

 ville, N. J., looking for open water where we might use 

 our oars. 



All prospect for shooting for the day was now over, 

 as the mush ice at this point kept the ducks away, and 

 it became apparent that the great body of fowl were to 

 be found lower down the river, whither in the morn- 

 ing we must direct our course. On our ice island we 

 floated down the stream until within sight of Penns- 

 ville pier, extending into the river, against which the 

 ice was jamming, and where there was every probabil- 

 ity that we would be crushed, unless we sought safety 

 on the stationary ice, which still remained on the shoal 

 borders of the stream. An opportunity for reaching 

 this ice soon presented itself, and hooking to it, we 

 pulled the boat safely up, and parted with our friendly 

 cake, which went on to its destruction. We were now 

 a full mile from a hotel, which we could only reach by 

 sledging the skifl", and it was four o'clock before we 

 were on terra ftrma. 



At Pennsville Hotel we found three other duck- 

 shooters, with their men, who had been driven in, as we 

 had, by the thick ice. 



Next morning a heavy fog hung over the river, add- 



