10 CHAPTER I. 



"Not at all," laughed the Chief, his eyes twinkling compassionately 

 upon me. "I expected to get a rise out of you on that, so I'm not 

 surprised. You just come over, my boy, and I will deliver the goods." 



The Colonel, who had been an interested but silent member of 

 the party, spoke up at this point, as if he felt some of the incredulity 

 which was still in my mind and was desirous, as he always is, of 

 making easy the way to good sport for those who love it: "No, Jim, 

 the Chief is not stringing you. He'll do what he says. He raises 'em 

 by hand, and they're counted before as well as after shooting." 



"What ! Tame ducks !" I gasped. "Not on your life," responded 

 the Scotchman. "If you can find any ducks in other places that take 

 any more killing than mine, I shall be glad to hear of them, that's 

 all. They are wild mallards and they will dodge shot as frequently 

 as do their thick-feathered brethren the world over. You just come 

 over next year and I'll show you." 



"Well, Chief," I answered him, "I'm going to try to take you up 

 on that offer. An experience of the kind you suggest would round 

 out my duck shooting career in grand style. It would make anything 

 I've ever done before this look like a penny ante poker game along- 

 side of Wall Street's best efforts. 



"I gather, of course, that these ducks will be your own property 

 and that by shooting any number of them we shan't be depriving other 

 sportsmen of an opportunity for their own good times. Wherever I 

 have shot I have always lived up to the bag limit and I never have 

 killed over fifty ducks in a day, though if I had hit all I have shot at 

 I would have killed a few more than that on some occasions, I'll ac- 

 knowledge. When I come to think of it I believe I have business in the 

 British Isles next year, and the longer I consider the case the more 

 convinced I become that that business is of such an imperative char- 

 acter that I shall be compelled to go abroad about about what time 

 did you say the ducks would be ripe?" 



"Well, from the middle to the latter part of October. But if you 

 are coming you ought to get there earlier so you could have some 

 deer stalking, and take a try at the grouse, black-cock, pheasants and 

 partridges." 



"You are raising the limit, old fellow," I said. "I would not give 

 a hang to shoot a deer. I haven't shot one for a long time, though I 



