244: RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



doubts, and expressed them ; but he was very firm. 

 "They're skulkin' in there; now see if they ain't," he 

 persisted, and so nearer and nearer we drew toward the 

 bushes. His gun, already cocked, lay in his lap, and I 

 was ready. Up they jumped, sure enough, and I got in 

 both barrels. Uz never thought of his gun, but ex- 

 claimed with pride, " I told you so ! " It was enough for 

 him to be correct in his opinion. Is it any wonder, then, 

 that in all matters pertaining to our local zoology I 

 should have found him both well posted and reliable ? 



When the to-morrow I mentioned at the opening of 

 this chapter came, it proved to be a warm, rainy day, 

 with a southerly wind, or " south-southerly," as he always 

 called it. By this he meant that the wind might shift 

 from southeast to southwest, possibly; but at all times 

 would be essentially " southerly." Uz was right in this, 

 and the rain came down in a steady pour, with now and 

 then a very brief intermission ; and the river was soon 

 swollen to the freshet stage. The meadows disappeared 

 beneath a covering of shallow waters ; and, better than 

 all else, the ducks came. 



Early in the morning of the fourth day, Uz and I 

 stood on the hill-top and took a general survey of the 

 country before starting out. He noted the direction of 

 the wind, the general distribution of the clouds at the 

 time, and then, pointing toward the river with a signifi- 

 cant nod, quietly remarked, " I said so." I looked in the 

 direction indicated, and, sure enough, a long, zigzag line 

 of ducks was coming up the river. "Widgeon and 

 teal," he remarked after a pause, and then made a move 

 to go to the boat. I wondered how he knew they were 

 widgeon and teal, instead of black ducks and sprig-tails, 

 but forbore asking, and on we walked until we reached 

 the boat. 



