222 WILD SPOET8 IN THE SOUTH. 



recognized them as the same flock of teal that came over 

 at the early dawn. It was a beautiful thing to see so 

 much graceful life so bountifully supplied and protected 

 by its own instincts in the solitude. 



Away down the marsh came the frequent boom ! boom ! 

 of my comrades' guns, but it did not seem to interfere 

 with the comfort of the ducks, who still fed on, though 

 keeping out of shot from where I sat. Soon the report 

 of the guns coming nearer caused the ducks to crowd 

 together with all their heads up. There was a long 

 pause, and then a negro's voice sounded close by : 

 " Maussa Jackson, mark !" followed by the clear ringing 

 of a double short, and at the sound up went my flock of 

 ducks. Three or four arose first, and then the whole 

 mass cleared the w r ater ; and the beating of their wings 

 on the surface was like a long continued roll of thunder. 

 I had no conception, before they rose, of their great mul- 

 titude. It seemed as if they could be counted by 

 tens of thousands. When they had attained a sufficient 

 height to overlook the meadow, they wheeled like the 

 line of an army, and apparently catching sight of the 

 other boats, came with the bright linings of their wings 

 turned to the sunlight, and their countless pinions hurt- 

 ling through the air directly over the place where wo 

 were concealed. I had given Scipio, as a reward of 

 merit, the musket I had brought with me, directing him 

 to take his own time, and fire as he chose. He, how- 

 ever, could not wait for the best shot, but fired as one 

 wing of the army wheeled over us. The aim was not a 



