232 WILD FOWL SPIGOTING. 



Jim didn't notice. Hans did, and said, " Shim ! I am 

 dired of sthanding sdill, oxguse me a few minutes, und 

 I vill redurn." 



Hans then went where the duck fell, and on his re- 

 turn said : " Yoost as I eggspecded ! Der dog has eden 

 der dug, insites, fedders und all ! " 



"What!" said Jim, "eaten the duck? I can't be- 

 lieve it. Oh, fatal mistake of mine ! I brought him 

 away without his breakfast ! " 



"Dot's all right," said Hans, "But I told you now, 

 und don't you forget it, dot ven I knocks a dug down, 

 I vill go after id mine own selluf , and you bedder vatch 

 dot tog. He is a bad vone. He is a dug-eater from 

 vay pack." 



" I am mighty sorry I brought him along," said Jim, 

 " but we will watch him closely. I knew he was a 

 terror on tame chickens. Have seen him kill tame 

 ducks, and complaints have been made of his sucking 

 eggs j but I really thought he would be all right out 

 with us. It's too late now, but let me once catch him 

 in flagrante delicto, as the lawyers say, and we will 

 have a circus." 



A pair of mallards swung over them. Both fired 

 quickly and simultaneously at the drake, and it fell 

 dead in the water. The dog started for him. Jim ex- 

 citedly yelled : " Come here ! you black whelp." But 

 he didn't come worth a cent, and Jim rushed to the 

 water's edge, grabbing the dog by the tail, and suc- 

 ceeded in keeping him from going after the bird. Hans, 

 with smiling face, said to Jim, " Didn't I knock him ? " 

 " What ? " replied Jim, " you knock him ? Why man, 

 you didn't shoot. I killed him myself, there was but 

 one report, that was from my gun." 



