270 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



sling our booty ; and if any of our friends could have seen 

 our noble selves and nags strung around with the fruit of 

 our labor, they could not have suppressed a smile. 



While resting for a day or two at MacComb's, Grand 

 Prairie, Northern Illinois, when on a tour, cattle purchas- 

 ing, at the commencement of winter, one of the hands, on 

 returning to dinner, informed me that both ducks and geese 

 were arriving in immense numbers. Soon my No. 10 gun 

 was brought out, and with seven pounds of shot, and my 

 large powder-flask full, I started in the direction indicated. 

 The weather since morning had undergone a complete 

 change, for, instead of a damp, mild atmosphere, snow was 

 falling in large but few flakes, with the thermometer below 

 freezing-point. 



On reaching the sloughs, I found birds abundant, but too 

 wary for great success; so, after firing a few long shots 

 with indifferent success, I determined to change my beat. 

 I had remarked the day before a field of a few acres of in- 

 different Indian corn which had not yet been gathered, and 

 which was excessively wet and soft from the dampness of 

 the soil; thither I determined to turn my footsteps, and 

 well it was I did so, for a finer afternoon's sport I have 

 seldom enjoyed. Before I got within a quarter of a mile 

 of my destination, I could see duck in numerous large flights 

 hovering over the place in question, giving hopes of sharp 

 work. On gaining the edge of the field and taking a sur- 

 vey, I found the ground in many places perfectly covered 

 with birds, and strings of fresh arrivals coining in moment- 

 arily mallard, butter-duck, teal, and winter-duck all mak- 

 ing the best use of their bills to further destroy an indiffer- 

 ent crop. After a survey of the situation, I selected a stand, 

 forming a screen of corn stems and iron-weed, and scarce- 

 ly was I ensconced, when the honk ! honk ! honk ! of a dis- 

 tant flock of wild geese told me that the wary scoundrels 



