708 Field Sports in Minnesota. 



of Crow River and Wilcox Pass ? Worse than this would be the 

 triumph of the knight of the plowshare. For the sixth time, cer- 

 tainly, I walked off a little distance and took a survey of my ambush, 

 about which the three "base libels" were so naturally grouped as to 

 give me quite a start when my eyes fell suddenly upon them. The 

 smoke curled lazily upward from the farm-house chimney, and lost 

 itself in a veil of mist which slowly ascended from the lake on the 

 right of the house. Now, the upper edge of the cloud mist took 

 on a rosy hue, due to the first warm rays of the sun, which seemed 

 to be rising from an early morning bath in Wilcox Lake. The 

 varying beauties of the veil of mist were duplicated by reflection 

 in the still water beneath. The beauty of the scene made me 

 quite forget my disappointment. 



There is considerable activity now among Bill's barn -yard fowls, 

 and I can even see his little folks scampering about the yard. A 

 gentle breeze has ruffled the surface of the lake and carried away 

 every trace of the fog which made the sunrise so beautiful. My 

 slender decoys feel the influence of the wind, and nod in a ludicrous, 

 if not most natural, manner. But in another minute I am scamp- 

 ering back to my blind, for in the clear sky above Big Marsh I 

 have discovered a flock of cranes winging their way in a direct 

 line for this field. Stepping quickly into my blind, I grasp my 

 trusty gun, and somewhat nervously await their approach. Though 

 scarcely considered fast flyers, they are not long in traversing the 

 intervening space, and presently are circling about over me, evidently 

 scanning the ground closely. Of course, when directly overhead, 

 the decoys are invisible to them, but are again clearly seen when 

 they have swung off at an angle. A little more maneuvering, and 

 they seem to conclude there is no enemy about, for they set their 

 wings, and, with long legs awkwardly dangling in the air, come on 

 slowly, preparing to alight. Almost before I am aware of it they 

 are upon me, — one, indeed, so near that, were I to fire now, he 

 would be fearfully mangled. The leader of the flock offers a tempt- 

 ing shot at thirty-five yards ; him I give the contents of my right 

 barrel, and he doubles up instantly over my sight. Not wasting 

 an instant, in the hope of making a "right and left," I "cut away" 

 again at the now thoroughly alarmed flock, and one more of the 

 immense birds comes to the ground. Too elated with my success 



