260 KRIDER'S SPORTING ANECDOTES. 



upon looking again, perhaps, a second bird is 

 seen engaged in the same playful manoeuvres ; 

 and a few yards further up on the mud, close to 

 the reeds or spatter-docks, the whole flock is 

 discovered sitting in close companionship in the 

 sun. They are probably fast asleep ; the out- 

 siders carelessly swimming on the water are the 

 sentries; and to approach the flock without 

 alarming these, is the point. In this case, the 

 shooter either lands at a distance and pushes 

 the skiff before him over the flat, concealing 

 himself as much as possible behind her, and 

 thus silently and laboriously works within shot ; 

 or trusting to the skill of the paddler, he lies 

 close in the boat, which is slowly and stealthily 

 propelled in the direction of the game, until, 

 perhaps, a distance not exceeding the point 

 blank range of an ordinary fowling piece is 

 attained, and death descends in a leaden 

 shower on the sleepers, whom the sports of 

 their heedless companions have betrayed. In 

 fact, though shooting from the battery is suffi- 

 ciently exciting, when the game comes fast to 

 the decoys, it cannot compare in point of ad- 

 venture and interest with paddle shooting as 

 practised on the Delaware. 



We have, indeed, spent many a joyous hour, 



