io8 The Life Worth Living 



in such weather, and what a man says on 

 these days would not do to go in a Sunday 

 School book. 



But when a stiff breeze blows and the 

 decoys begin to nod and bob in the water, 

 with life in every movement, then we can 

 fool Mr. Duck and Mr. Brant, stock our 

 pantry for rainy days and make glad the 

 heart of friends in town with the call of the 

 expressman. 



I never knew how much beautiful weather 

 there was in winter until I began cruising for 

 ducks and geese. I had an idea before that 

 about half the days of our winter life are 

 bleak and stormy. I have found by nine 

 years' experience that on an average there 

 are about four days in each winter month in 

 which the weather is bad enough to make a 

 good day for ducks. If we get more than 

 four days of stormy weather in a month, fit 

 for good shooting, it is a streak of extraordi- 

 nary luck. And if one or two of those four 



