SHOOTING MALLARDS FROM A SCULL BOAT. 51 



are killed from a scull boat. You promise to go. Your 

 gun is a 10 ga., weighing 10 Ibs. Leave all to me ; you 

 are to be my guest for the occasion, and I propose to 

 treat you as a distinguished one, choosing to provide 

 all the necessaries for the trip, and promising you a 

 very pleasant one, should the Aveather be auspicious. 

 We will use the same shells, loaded 4 1-2 dms. powder, 

 well wadded, and 1 1-8 ozs. No. 6 shot ; but I shall 

 put into our box plenty of No. 8's, for should the ducks 

 decoy well, the shells will come handy, in fact, just the 

 size ; while if they are wild, the 8's will do nicely for 

 cripples. Bring your hip rubber boots with you ; they 

 may be needed, not that I think they will be, as the 

 boat will be perfectly dry, plenty of hay in the bottom, 

 and loose fitting shoes, or felt boots will be warmer, 

 and much more comfortable. You can throw your long 

 boots under the bow, and should it so happen, as it fre- 

 quently does, that we run across some pond, overflow- 

 ed place, or bayou, where ducks are feeding, we will 

 want them to retrieve our birds. 



Yes ! I don't doubt it ; am willing to admit he is an 

 excellent retriever. Still, we don't want your dog 

 along, for our shooting will be almost, if not entirely, 

 from the boat, and he would simply be in the way. 

 Better lose a few ducks, than to have him wet and 

 muddy constantly climbing in on the dry hay, splashing 

 mud over ourselves and guns, and disarranging, or 

 perhaps completely knocking, our blind from off the 

 bow. I don't doubt but it seems strange to you to 

 hunt ducks without a dog, but rest assured, it's the 

 correct way in scull boat shooting, as your experience 

 will prove before our return. My sack of mallard 

 decoys we will throw on the bow when we start out. 



