22 The Water-fowl Family 



stakes serves as a seat, and we bring a box or two 

 from the boat for our cartridges. 



The decoys are being set ; twenty-five or thirty 

 wooden stool, mostly black duck and mallard with 

 a few red-head and a string or two of broadbill, 

 comprise our stand. They are arranged in two 

 separate bunches, out far enough from shore to be 

 conspicuous, and in such position that any bird 

 decoying will come well to our left. Lastly, the 

 live decoys are staked out. We have three, two 

 drakes and a duck. The drakes are placed just 

 outside of the wooden stool ; each is tied to a little 

 platform driven into the shallow water ; the duck 

 is fastened near shore. By separating live decoys 

 in this way, they are generally more noisy. Sun- 

 rise marks the hour, we are close on time, the 

 expectations of the past few days have reached 

 their height, and some of the countless flocks we 

 have seen will soon be in evidence ; but ducks are 

 uncertain always and hereabouts well educated. 



The hunted points and ponds are better known 

 to every mallard than to the gunner ; they know 

 his office hours, and are particular about dropping 

 in until late. We watch a small flock of ruddy 

 duck diving in front, the only inhabitants of the 

 pond. There is nothing else there, and nothing 

 else comes. We begin to experience change of 

 sentiment, anticipation is on the wane, not a 

 quack or a distant honk to raise hopes ; even the 



