24 The Wild-Fowlers 



gamester with a full ounce of shot, as it 

 seemed, while the Doctor pulled at a pair 

 that were lined up at the same moment, 

 and both collapsed at the snap of his gun. 

 Both men then gave second trigger at 

 separate single birds, now wildly upon 

 the wing, but only one fowl was stopped, 

 and this by the older man's shot. 



" Four in five shots, boy. And black- 

 duck at that ! What think you are we 

 not very sober or very lucky, or both ? 

 Enthuse, boy, enthuse! Oh, if Doctor 

 Corbin and Seth Fielding could see 

 this!" 



" I can't hit my second birds," replied 

 Peritus, plainly annoyed at his second 

 miss with the second barrel. 



" But you will when I tell you the trick, 

 and I '11 do so now. I wanted you to see 

 the mannerisms of the blackduck a little 

 more than was afforded by the first of 

 that species that came to the stool. 

 Have n't you observed a particular trait 

 in the blackduck's leaving the decoys ?" 



