Canvas -Back and Terrapin. 735 



more were hovering within a few inches of the wooden heads. All 

 three stood up, and as the ducks hung fluttering, six barrels were 

 poured into them, and one, two, four, six, eight, and another — no — 

 — no — yes — nine ducks tumbled into the water, and splashed 

 and floundered around in their death agonies. While it would be 

 impossible for me to swear that I had hit one, I had an abiding con- 

 sciousness that at least four of the birds were mine, and I became 

 wholly oblivious of the temperature. " Mark again ! " said the keen- 

 sighted and watchful B. " Mark single duck coming right in. 

 Now. sir. take him, he's your first choice ! Now, sir ! * * * Good, 



by gracious ! " I had tumbled that single duck over like a pro- 

 fessor. To say that I was delighted will not do. I was excited ; I 

 was wild, and I began to mark invisible ducks myself. " Good 

 sport ? " said B. " Gorgeous ! " said I. " Yes," said B. ; " it gener- 

 ally drives a man crazy, the first day of good shooting he gets, arud 

 then we have to take him up here in the woods and tie him to a tree 

 till he calms down, and is fit to be allowed back in the blind." I did 

 not think I was so excited, but I soothed myself. But by this time 

 it was almost sunrise, and we could see ducks coming up the river 

 in countless numbers. Presently, a large flock left the middle of the 

 stream and swept out about half a mile below into a broad bay. At 

 first, it seemed as if they would " bed " there, but they turned and 

 headed for the blind. We crouched low, and scarcely dared to 

 breathe lest they should swerve out into the stream again. On they 

 came like a whirlwind, and were fluttering and splashing on the 

 decoys as we rose and fired six barrels into the thickest part of them. 

 Not less than twenty canvas-backs and red-heads fell, and, as some, 

 only disabled, tried to swim away, a few more shots made sure of them. 



• Mark, gemmen, mark ! M said Joe, holding down the dogs, and 

 '• whir" came a flock of bald-pates right over us from behind. B., 

 who shoots from his left shoulder, had his gun up in an instant and 

 fired both barrels overhead, and two large, heavy birds fell wound* <1 



ide the line of the decoys. Neither M. nor myself had been 

 quick enough. 4 * Now, Joe, said B., " out with you ; quick ! " Joe 

 let go the dogs and dived under the blind, and in a moment more was 

 paddling out and picking up duck after duck with his little canoe. 

 came in the office of the dogs, whose wonderful instinct and 

 training and perfect experience constitute one of the most astonish- 



