THE DROWNED LANDS. 147 



where I sat. Soon the report of the guns coming nearer caused 

 the ducks to crowd together with all their heads up. There was 

 a long pause, and then a negro's voice sounded close by : " Mars 

 Jackson, mark ! " followed by the clear ringing of a double shot, 

 and at the sound up went my flock of ducks. Three or four arose 

 first, and then the whole mass cleared the water ; and the beating 

 of their wings on the surface was like a long-continued roll of 

 thunder. I had no conception, before they rose, of their multitude. 

 It seemed as if they could be counted by tens of thousands. 

 When they had attained a sufficient height to overlook the 

 meadow, they wheeled like the line of an army, and apparently 

 catching sight of the other boats, came with the bright linings of 

 their wings turned to the sunlight, and their countless pinions, 

 hurtling through the air directly over the place where we were 

 concealed. I had given Scipio, as a reward of merit, the musket I 

 had brought with me, directing him to take his own time, and fire 

 as he chose. He, however, could not wait for the best shot, but 

 fired as one wing of the army wheeled over us. The aim was not 

 a bad one, for a dozen ducks fell at the shot, and several more at 

 intervals came slanting down from the flock. The effect of this 

 unexpected attack drove the wing of the flock into the main body, 

 clustering them together in a compact mass, when I fired both 

 barrels. My stronger shooting gun bored a hole through the black 

 mass, and twenty-seven ducks fell on the open water, and two or 

 three went down aslant into the reeds. Three and a half dozen 

 ducks was the contribution that one flock made to our booty. I 

 still looked longingly after them as they went floating around the 

 horizon, like banks of minute flies that wave at midsummer from 

 prominent points on the shores of great lakes, undulating with 

 the wind. But they passed away in the dim horizon, probably 

 being unwilling to make another trial of the Drowned Lands. 



"Hulloah!" 



" Hulloah ! " 



'' How many birds ? " 



" Ah ! plenty. Talk of hunting ! " said the Doctor, " this is my 

 hunter's paradise. A good boat to row you, and boys to pick up 

 the game ; no running yourself out of breath, or heavy pack on 



