72 CAMP FIRE REMINISCENCES 
flock after flock of baldpate passing, then suddenly 
they stopped. Five birds had come down as the 
result of both barrels into the brown of the first 
flock, and none of the wounded birds were lost, as 
I had only to run along the bank and pot them. 
The greatest trouble was picking them up with the 
boat when they were killed, but this had to be done 
on account of ‘the current. I made the score up 
to fifty-eight by this halt and then started again 
for home. 
On arriving at the main river, Y. appeared from 
Klondyke, having had very poor luck, and only 
bagging nine. As everything goes by comparison, 
I was now quite pleased with my morning’s work, 
although coming in I had felt rather ashamed of 
fifty-eight when expecting a hundred. The inde- 
fatigable Y., hearing my story, went off at once 
to my blind, and although it was then late, he came 
back with over seventy ducks and several Canada 
geese, having hit off a good flight and had splendid 
sport. Being unaccustomed to: such exceedingly 
hard work I retired, as I was absolutely worn out. 
By supper time, all the sportsmen had returned, 
complaining of the poor shooting, not one of them 
having killed even a hundred. They said that ow- 
ing to the perfect calm and great heat, the ducks 
spent their time on the big lake—comparatively 
few coming over the marshes. Wind was badly 
wanted to disturb the water and cause the birds to 
fly. 
Before going to bed that night, we again arranged 
our boats so that in the morning there should be 
