Unaccountableg " anb otfter 



T the rifle range and elsewhere a bad miss is 

 generally put down as an " unaccountable." 

 In my experience, and I am sure in that of others 

 also, many hits might well go under the same 

 heading. It is of these particular shots that I 

 wish to write, citing only such as I have made 

 personally, or have seen fired. 



While out trapping with one of my brothers, 

 about the end of September, we had occasion to 

 cross a small lake. My brother was steering the 

 birch bark canoe. When within about three hun- 

 dred yards of the shore I noticed a solitary black 

 duck swimming back and forth near the edge of 

 the lake, which was fringed with a dense growth 

 of willows. These birds are very shy and can rare- 

 ly be approached within range in the open. We 

 had no blind in our canoe, but seeing that the bird 

 did not appear to notice us, I took in my paddle 

 and allowed my brother to work the canoe towards 

 him quietly. I had a single barrel Hudson Bay 

 Co. gun of 28 bore, loaded with half an ounce of 

 BB shot. I was out for meat and not for sport, 

 and I only fired when about 25 yards off. All 

 this time the bird had never paid the slightest 

 attention to us. After picking up the duck, and 

 while turning the canoe, we heard some rustling 



