SHOOTING MALLARDS IN A SNOW STORM. 79 



me not to leave thee, or to turn from following after 

 thee, for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou 

 lodgest, I will lodge." 



I thought at the time the language was sublimely 

 beautiful, and gave him credit for it. I knew the ex- 

 pression was not original with him, but that he bor- 

 rowed it; that it was the language of Ruth to her 

 mother-in-law, when Naomi entreated Ruth to return 

 to her people. I could not help but admire the apt 

 illustration he made, in showing the actual state of his 

 feelings. I felt at the time that the quotation was 

 made by him with the intention of passing it off on me 

 as original, he not considering the possibility of my be- 

 ing posted in Biblical lore. It was an uncharitable act 

 on his part, but later years gave me an opportunity to 

 retaliate, which I did and no questions asked. 



With the assistance of a couple of the inhabitants, 

 who are always to be seen at every small station on the 

 arrival of a train, we soon had boat and traps out of the 

 car, placed on a wagon, and were bound for the river, 

 the deep forest line of which we could indistinctly see 

 through the driving snow. We were both warmly 

 .dressed, and feared neither cold nor storm. It was a 

 short trip to -the river, and we were soon ready to start 

 out. Our boat was one such as is fully described in 

 another part of this volume. Decked over at bow and 

 sides, sitting close to the water, her smooth sides and 

 rounded bow easily slipping through the water, while 

 her stern glided along, scarcely making a ripple. We 

 placed our eighteen mallard decoys on the bow, it being 

 a handy place to carry them. Besides, in the old dirty 

 coffee sack, they made a very necessary blind for us. 

 Harry seated himself at the oars, while I, with sculling 



