XXXI 



A PLEA FOR THE UNPROTECTED 



WHY kill, for the mere sake of killing 

 or the exhibition of one's skill, any wild 

 thing that when alive harms no one and 

 when killed is of no worth ? The more 

 happy wild life there is in the world, the 

 pleasanter it is for all of us. 



When one is duck-shooting on inland 

 waters, sitting alert in the bow of the 

 skiff with his gun ready for the expected 

 gaudy wood duck, or plump mallard, or 

 loud quacking dusky duck, or swift- 

 winged teal, to rise with a splashing 

 flutter out of the wild rice, and there is 

 a sudden beating of broad wings among 

 the sedges with a startled guttural quack, 

 and one's heart leaps to his throat and 

 his gun to his shoulder, and then only 

 an awkward bittern climbs the Septem- 

 ber breeze with a slow incline, there is 

 a vengeful temptation to let drive at 

 the disappointing good-for-nothing. But 

 148 



