PlONEhR HUNTERS OF THE KANKAKEE 

 three of their number behind. 1 did fairly well 

 after my return to the blind on the second morn- 

 ing, for 1 had a double shot at a bunch of pin- 

 tails. Then while my gun was empty there 

 came to the decoys the largest flock of black 

 ducks I ever saw. Without exageration 1 believe 

 there was over a hundred of them. They lit 

 among the decoys and all around my sneak 

 barrel, some within twenty feet of where I sat 

 with an empty gun. Imagine, if you can, how 

 queer 1 felt while sitting there like a bump on a 

 log. Those that lit close by eyed me anxiously. 

 Finally 1 began very carefully to load the gun. 

 I got the powder in all right but did not have 

 room enough in the barrel to get the ramrod out 

 and get the wads down on the powder without 

 exposing my arms above the barrel. Those 

 near me gave the warning signal and took 

 flight. In a moment all were gone. 1 finished 

 loading but never fully recovered over my mis- 

 hap of losing the best chance I have ever had 

 in ^11 my hunting experiences for a big shot at 



157 



