166 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



change of demeanor which had been noticed. There 

 was only a dim consciousness of something unpleasant. 



"Billy," said I, "if I have appeared to be depressed it 

 is because our ducks were carted off by an unknown man 

 to be sold to unknown consumers in the market. Every 

 duck, pigeon or rabbit that I ever killed before to-day 

 was either eaten by my own family or given to a friend. 

 Part of the triumph of the hunt lay in the bringing of 

 the game to the table, and as my friends enjoyed the treat 

 I also enjoyed being the treater. If I was at the feast 

 every mouthful eaten by each individual was enjoyed by 

 me as a contributor, whose hard work on shore or upland 

 was rewarded by the knowledge that others were enjoy- 

 ing the fruits of my skill and " 



"That you are a blooming egotist whose personality 

 enters into every duck or other game. Is that what you 

 mean?" 



"Billy, you have put it into words which are strictly 

 true, but were in a nebulous condition in my brain. You 

 have summed up the case in a masterly way. Never be- 

 fore did I measure the value of game of any kind in 

 money, although I have had a desire to turn my love of 

 field sports into a way of making a living. This desire 

 was in a crude form before this, but now that the man 

 has carted off my game to be eaten by men who do not 

 thank me for it, do not know me, and may be drunk 

 when they eat it, I wish I had my ducks and he had his 

 money " 



"Well, you'll go out in the morning and shoot some 

 more, won't you?" 



"Yes, but I'll build a blind and use the boat to chase 

 cripples. I don't like to see a wounded duck go off into 

 the marsh to die or to be eaten by minks or gulls. It 

 isn't right." 



