28 The Water-fowl Family 



in the shallow water. These in many instances 

 are built on the feeding-grounds in the summer 

 and early fall, so as to allow the birds to become 

 accustomed to them. A bush blind consists of a 

 number of tree-tops driven into the mud, forming 

 a screen of sufficient height to conceal well the 

 skiff which is pushed in at the open end. A large 

 number of decoys are then placed in front. Sev- 

 eral years ago two of us spent a few days ducking 

 on the James River, near Westover. Our host 

 had placed at our disposal everything, from his 

 house to decoys. We were in charge of a darky 

 who knew all the wiles of Virginia ducks ; his 

 name was Wat Green, and no man, black or white, 

 could equal Wat in the duck business. It was 

 early Christmas morning when we were called to 

 leave the comforts of bed for the cold outside. A 

 cup of coffee and a roll served as a starter. I look 

 back on that cup of coffee as the one thing that 

 carried me through one of the most uncomfortably 

 cold days I ever faced. Wat opened the front 

 door and latched it without a creak; we passed 

 out into the cold morning. It was blowing a gale 

 and snowing, the first snow of the season ; the day 

 before had been mild as summer; the contrast 

 wasn't warming. It was only a few steps to the 

 landing where there was a large boat well filled with 

 decoys, and a skiff which we towed along. Wat 

 rowed, and we envied him. The cold that swept 



