86 CAMP FIRE REMINISCENCES 
the early days of October, decoys are really unnec- 
essary as the birds have not been shot at much and 
they are far from shy, but my man did this as a 
matter of form. Being allowed fifty birds between 
us, the guide having his gun, I allowed him to use 
it, permitting him to shoot at anything missed by 
me. H. and 8S. were nearly opposite, on the east 
side, so we had a good view of what took place at 
their blinds. At first a number of flocks of pin- 
tails came in, giving the most beautiful shots pos- 
sible, then a couple of canvasbacks, one of which 
I killed, the other coming down some distance 
away to swim off and escape. After this we had 
the most varied shooting possible—mallards, red- 
heads, pintails, teal and widgin, 
When lunch time came, one bottle of mineral 
water fell against another and both were broken, 
so there was nothing to drink. The knowledge of 
this induced such a thirst, that I made the guide 
pull the boat to the oasis occupied by H. where we 
found such fountains flowing that all immediate 
and future danger from this was removed. Hay- 
ing picked up our birds before leaving our own 
blind, we now moved into the reeds on the east side 
and completed our complement in a very short 
time. 
The third day, as S. and myself had to catch an 
afternoon train, we started shooting early. Every- 
thing was just as favourable as it had been the day 
before. As we did not go far away, we were back 
at the club for lunch, each with his limit. With | 
a third man, B., we took the launch for the rail- 
