GEORGE RAYNOR. 163 



for a dozen charges, say a pound for a dozen loads and 

 a hundred shots per day ; yes, fifty pounds will do to start 

 with, and we can get more down there if we need it, but 

 these things can be bought cheaper here." 



There was a belief which I cherished that I had done 

 some shooting, and had on one occasion loaded up with 

 two pounds of powder and eight pounds of shot for a 

 week's sport, but Billy's figures staggered me meta- 

 phorically speaking, "they took my breath away." As 

 soon as I could come up to the surface I ventured to 

 ask: "Have you ever shot down there at Kankakee?" 



"Oh, yes; I go down there in spring and fall; the 

 ducks are plenty, I assure you. Did you think that I 

 didn't know anything about the place?" 



"No, I only asked for information because the 

 amount of ammunition seemed somewhat larger than I 

 have been accustomed to use, but if you think it is what 

 we will need it's all right; you know best." 



"You'll need it all. Have everything packed for the 

 eleven P. M. train Sunday night, and I'll meet you at the 

 station and we'll have a good time for a week." 



Such flights of ducks! Such flocks of ducks! The 

 sky, the lower air and the water was full of them. As 

 Billy rowed our little boat along the marshes in a small 

 stream it seemed to me that he was wasting time and 

 missing shots, but when he pulled up on a dry point of 

 land and we hauled the boat ashore and propped it on 

 edge, the reeds and rushes with which we covered it 

 made a splendid blind to shoot from. No decoys were 

 necessary; the ducks were uneducated in the matter of 

 artificial blinds, and came past ours without a thought of 

 danger. We two were not up to the modern plan of 

 having several guns, or the slaughter might have been 

 greater. Where I had shot, along the Popskinny, a half 



