734 



Canvas -Back, and Terrapin. 



wt- 





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OVER THE DECOYS. 



been whispering dismal experiences of whole days in blinds without 

 a solitary shot, and I began to despise the whole business. The 

 blind became a dry-goods box in a bush, and the decoys an unblush- 

 ing and unworthy device, and I could have readily proclaimed the 

 whole thing unsportsmanlike and disgraceful, had there been a spark 

 of encouragement in the demeanor of even sleepy Joe. The gray 

 light grew brighter, and a blue, hazy " smoke " seemed to creep up 

 the river as day dawned over the cold water. Presently, we heard 

 a shrilly, feeble whistle, precisely such as the young puddle-duck of 

 the barn-yard makes in his earliest vocal efforts. " Bald-pates !" 

 said B. ; and overhead, far out of reach, we saw four ducks. 

 "There'll be lots of them now," said B. " They are coming up the 

 river before the wind. H'sh ! mark, mark, now quiet everybody!" 

 Right out of the blue smoke, coming directly toward our blind, came 

 not less than two hundred black-heads. On they came, straight 

 toward the decoys. Within a hundred yards of our noses, the leader 

 swerved, and out they all went, not one coming within gunshot. 

 Before I could give way to my disappointment, B. gave his warning 

 again. " Mark, mark, a bunch of canvas- backs ! " and from the 

 same direction, flying within a foot or two of the water, came some 

 twenty ducks. They saw the decoy flock, turned in, and in a moment 



