The Serene Duck Hunter 



with his principal, he will give ready 

 support to the claim that the duck is 

 mortally wounded, at the same time 

 shrewdly and with apparent depres- 

 sion suggesting the improbability of 

 recovering the slain. 



If as the hours wear away this 

 process becomes so monotonous as to 

 be fatiguing, a restful variety may be 

 introduced by guardedly acknowledg- 

 ing an occasional miss, and bringing 

 into play the excuses and explanations 

 appropriate to such altered conditions. 

 A very useful way of accounting for 

 a shot missed is by the suggestion that 

 through a slightly erroneous calcula- 

 tion of distance the duck was out of 

 range when the shot was fired. A very 

 frequent and rather gratifying pre- 

 text for avoiding chagrin in case of a 

 69 



