212 WILD SPORTS m THE SOUTH. 



ing back to permit him to see as they passed, until his 

 round little figure nearly lost its balance. 



" Thou shall not covet, Doctor." 



" Mike, can we get some of them ?" 



" Reckon." 



"I think there are a good many on the Drowned 

 Lands," said Jackson ; " they have been coming on 

 pretty thick, lately." 



" Then let us try them. I don't think the Doctor will 

 look earthward again, unless it is to shoot ducks." 



A laugh followed, and the party being of one accord, 

 it was arranged that we should spend the day in the 

 marshes, takuig a supply of food to last till night. So we 

 walked back to camp. Miss Jackson and the Doctor 

 chatting away about some theory of the Doctor's upon 

 the cause of the variation of the plumage of birds, which, 

 like most theories, was all wrong. The moment our 

 intentions for the day were announced, the camp was in 

 a hurry; the idlers bestirred themselves with double 

 zeal ; guns wqyg examined ; boats made ready ; ammu- 

 nition bags, that had not been used in a year, were over- 

 hauled and filled ; and at length, when the sun arose, 

 our breakfast was ended, and four boats were all equipped 

 and manned mth two negroes each, ready for the sports- 

 men. The boats were all dug-out canoes, made by the 

 negroes from cypress logs, but their graceful shape and 

 high sharp bow and stern made them resemble the 

 Indian bark canoe, or the Canadian pirogue. Mike had 

 his neatly arranged, and a beautifully tanned deer-skin 



