THE DKOWNED LANDS. 225 



" Let me try a little of that spring in the desert," said 

 the Doctor. 



" Not till you tell me one thing," said I, getting pos- 

 session of my bottle. "How many shots have you 

 missed ?" 



" Will you give me the tea, then ?" 



"Yes." 



"Honor bright?" 



"Yes." 



" Ten ! Give us the tea." 



" Ha ! ha ! you are looking at Miss Jackson when you 

 should be at the ducks." 



The boys took the direction of the palm tree, and we 

 paddled on together, getting up two or three birds. It 

 was a pretty thing to see Lou Jackson shoot. She had 

 a light double-barrelled gun, the same one she had used 

 on the deer-hunt, and when the duck beat up to the level 

 of the tall grass and poised for his flight, she fired with 

 such accuracy that the bird generally fell in a shower of 

 feathers, amid the Doctor's laughter and merry jokes. 

 He did not pretend to shoot unless there were three or 

 four ducks rising together, and then he generally fol- 

 lowed their flight, with his gun to his shoulder, until, 

 when a long way off, he would finally say " Too far," 

 and taking his gun down again, give a sigh of relief, and 

 look around for some more game. On reaching the little 

 island we found Mike was there before us, and the 

 negroes had landed the provisions and prepared our sim- 

 ple meal. Yowler sat on the narrow beach, evidently 



10* 



