TWO SPOBTS; OB, OUT FOB A LABK. 231 



and I dink der dugs half you yourselluf these many 

 dimes seen already. Dake off your hat, your hair is 

 ret, yoost der right color, und dugs vill dake you for a 

 big shesnud, or a punch of veeds growing in der vater." 



They both saw the necessity of doing something, or 

 they would get no shooting, and Jim said, " Come, Hans, 

 we must get out of this. Let's leave the boat, go away 

 from it, and hide in the grass, and what we then kill 

 we can get." 



So they went, selected a point and waited. Hanis 

 took oft h^ hat, bo.wed politely to Jim, and laid the 

 hat on the ground. Jim, not to be outdone in polite- 

 ness, returned the compliment. The dog, not to be an 

 unobserved observer, turned around twice, and laid 

 down on both hats, sinking them into the soft mud. 

 Ducks were moving quite freely, and had these hunters 

 had their wits about them, they would have seen ducks 

 in great numbers, pitching into the swamp about a mile 

 from them ; but they gave no thought to this, and only 

 expected what chance directed to them. They had 

 fired a good many times, but killed none. They blamed 

 the guns, the ammunition, — everything but themselves ; 

 but now, both firing into a large flock, one was winged, 

 tipped and fell about 80 yards off in the grass. The 

 dog saw it, and away he went for it, urged by Jim's 

 voice. He was gone some time ; the hunters thought 

 it strange he did not return, and each moment expected 

 him to emerge fi'om the tall grass with the bird. He 

 came, but without the duck. " The bird was winged," 

 said Jim, " he couldn't strike its trail, and couldn't find 

 it." Perhaps not, but his sheepish look and downcast 

 eye showed he had found something. This was cor- 

 roborated by the few small feathers on hia lips, which 



