A SUKPBISING INCIDENT. 279 



of us. My companion, as he was holding on by the skin 

 of his teeth to escape a ducking, could not shoot. I, who 

 was situated in a less precarious position, could ; so, 

 making a violent effort to pull myself together, I put in 

 both barrels; the first shot told its execution by cutting 

 out a handful of feathers, the second by dropping the 

 object at which I aimed it stone dead. However, the 

 wounded bird went off with such velocity and power, that 

 but little hope was entertained of recovering it ; and as 

 its retreating form gradually diminished in the distance, 

 remarks to that effect passed between us, although both 

 continued to gaze after it as long as its retreating form 

 was in view. My friend's sight being better than mine, 

 some seconds after I had turned my attention to other 

 matters, informed me that my bird was down, and he 

 thought he could find it. After a long and troublesome 

 detour we reached the place, and the retriever recovered it 

 in a few minutes. On examination, there was not a shot 

 in the head, but the body was riddled to such an extent 

 as to induce one to surmise how it was possible for 

 the machinery of the body to work under such circum- 

 stances. 



To every rule there are exceptions, so I will give one 

 .a very rare one, I believe in reference to black duck. It 

 was the last day of the Indian summer, and consequently that 

 preceding the commencement of winter. The atmosphere 

 was so wonderfully still, that not a cat's-paw marked the 

 surface of Lake Conchachin, in Upper Canada. In the 

 morning I had crossed to the village of Orillia in a light 

 skiff, with the intention of returning as soon as possible 



