26 The Wild-Fowlers 



be a-willin' teh leave off gunnin* fer feed- 

 in', " as he remarked with a broad grin 

 and an elaborate salutation with his 

 brawny left arm. The Doctor and young 

 Peritus went aboard, and for over two 

 hours the three men ate, drank, smoked, 

 talked, laughed, and sang in that peculiar 

 spirit of good nature only known to 

 sportsmen. 



Both of the elder men related experi- 

 ences with rod and gun, to the extreme 

 delight of their young companion, and 

 many a practical bit concerning guns, am- 

 munition, wild fowl, and natural history 

 in general was brought out for his especial 

 benefit. Old Grieb told how the black- 

 duck went up into the creeks and ponds 

 to feed whenever the tide made low at 

 dark or very early in the morning; how 

 he had often come upon a great flock of 

 them in the ocean " outside/' as he 

 termed it all fast asleep in the middle of 

 the day, which, "teh those es hed follered 

 the bay," as he put it, meant that the 



