The Wild-Fowlers 27 



water in the bay and creeks was low at 

 dark or " dreffel airly in the mornin' " ; 

 how the different species of wild fowl 

 acted in the bay at all seasons of the 

 year; what they fed on, where they slept, 

 and how they were taken by the gunner, 

 and Doctor Bradley related many of his 

 experiences both afield and afloat, so that 

 Peritus, by the time he and the Doctor 

 returned to the blind, felt he had de- 

 voured quite his share of mental food if 

 the Doctor had beaten him with knife, 

 fork, and goblet. 



" Good-bye, Peritus, " said Doctor 

 Bradley, at the end of the day, when the 

 two had reached the city. " You 're a 

 first-class shooting companion, and I 'm 

 going to introduce you, some day, to 

 Fielding and Corbin, who '11 give you 

 better sport than I am capable of." 



" Good-bye, Doctor. I '11 appreciate 

 the introduction to your two famous 

 friends, and profit greatly by their so- 

 ciety, but I won't allow that they '11 give 



