OUTFITS, BLINDS, DECOYS AND DUCK-CALLS. 341 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



OUTFITS, BLINDS, DECOYS AND DUCK-CALLS. 



Now that the beginner ' has waded through the- 

 labyrinth of guns, and the most approved manner of 

 using them to advantage, let us wander still farther 

 up the scale of wild-fowl shooting, and clothe him in. 

 garments suitable for his avocation. His clothes must be 

 devoid of conspicuity, but gotten for the express purpose 

 of answering what they are intended for. A duck hunt- 

 er dressed for the swamps is not in an artistic sense, a 

 " thing of beauty " ; on the contrary, he is not only de- 

 void of personal charms, but there is a look of inferiority 

 about him that his friends notice, and he is apt to appre- 

 ciate. While this is true, he should shake off all feelings 

 of pride, and be dressed properly for his destined place , 

 that in the swamp and in the timber, style and fit are of 

 no consequence ; and that the sun will shine as warmly, 

 the birds sing as merrily, the winds blow as gently, the 

 rice stalks nod as cordially to him in his old, faded, ill- 

 fitting suit as if he were dressed in the neatest clothes. 

 Besides, he will be a great deal more comfortable, and 

 having his war armor on, will occasionally slip and take 

 a header in the mud with the utmost complacency. 

 What kind of material his clothes are made of, depends 

 on his own taste and the depth of his pocket-book. It 



