THE SUMMER DUCK. 215 



on the woodland banks of the streams and pools they 

 love to frequent. And this reminds me of a little sketch, 

 illustrative of their habits, taken down almost verbatim^ 

 from the lips of a right good fellow, and at that time a 

 right good sportsman also ; though now, alas ! the un- 

 timely loss of the inestimable blessing of eyesight has 

 robbed him, among other sources of enjoyment, of that 

 favorite and innocent pastime the forest chase : 



" Are there many "Wood Ducks about this season, 

 Tom?" asked Forester, affecting to be perfectly care- 

 less and indifferent to all that had passed. " Did you 

 kill these yourself?" 



" There was a sight on them a piece back, but they're 

 gittin' scase pretty scase now, I tell you. Yes, I shot 

 these down by Aunt Sally's big spring-hole a Friday. 

 I'd been a lookin' round, you see, to find where the quail 

 kept afore you came up here for I'd a been expectin' 

 you a week and better and I'd got in quite late, toward 

 sundown, with an outsidin' bevy, down by the cedar 

 swamp, and druv them off into the big bog meadows, 

 below Sugarloaf, and I'd killed quite a bunch on them 

 sixteen, I reckon. Archer; and there wasn't but 

 eighteen when I lit on em' and it was gittin' pretty 

 well dark when I came to the big spring, and little Dash 

 was worn dead out, and I was tired, and hot, and thun- 

 clerin' thirsty, so I sets down aside the outlet where the 

 spring water comes in good and cool, and I was mixkin' 

 up a nice, long drink in the big glass we hid last sum- 



