Picked from the Prairie Province 253 



eye " did mark a receding speck rather suggestive of 

 an extremely busy bee. I could not resist a peep 

 astern, and lo ! Batteese's noble grinders were dis- 

 played from end to end. "Teal fass look 

 bluebill quick!" And straight ahead streamed 

 a grand flock of fully one hundred of the square- 

 built, lively fowl which so greatly add to the sport 

 of the larger marshes. Three or four hit the open 

 water, others crashed into the reeds. "Quick! 

 shoot crippul " warned Batteese, and I knocked 

 over a duck which showed signs of a partial recov- 

 ery. To pick up the floaters was a simple matter, 

 then I got a touch of the Breed's real quality. 

 Straight at the wall-like mass of reeds went the 

 canoe, and when she had been forced by main 

 strength twenty feet into the cover, he said, " Dock 

 dur ! " and under my hand was the chunky, floating 

 form of a nice drake. Then out crawled the canoe, 

 only to butt into the growth again and again at 

 various points till five more fowl were boated. And 

 not once did I see a feather, until the laconic " Dook 

 dur ! " caused me to look straight down and see 

 the floater within easy reach. The last time he 

 worked far in, peering from side to side and parting 

 the reeds with his paddle. " Woun dud," he 

 grunted, but the next moment his paddle sung 

 through the air and almost decapitated the duck, 

 which was trying to slip abaft of the canoe and some 

 few inches below the surface. The craft was now 

 firmly wedged, but he had an easier method than 

 poling. Moving midships, he seized a handful of 

 reeds and pulled, and we slid several feet, after 

 which a few more pulls nearly cleared the cover ; 



