252 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



" Did you see it before you went out ? " said he. 



" Not at all. I saw where the bird fell : it was crip 

 pled and when it did not come up at once, I knew it had 

 grabbed hold of something and drowned itself. Don't 

 know as the duck is to blame, as its death was easier that 

 way than to be riddled with that mui-derous gun of 

 yours. There is nothing unusual about their meeting 

 death in this way, I have known them to do so time and 

 again." 



Just then a drake came along over us, high up, and 

 holding fully three feet ahead of him, I had the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing him come down dead. The shot was 

 fired right over mj'- companion's head ; he evidently 

 heard it, for he jumped up excitedly and said, " What 

 in blazes are you doing, trying to blow the top of my 

 head off?" 



" Not at all," said I. " The duck was killed, and taking 

 into consideration that fact, I didn't think you were in 

 any great danger." 



" It strikes me," said he, " that you are too careless. 

 Some day you will shoot somebody. I never have 

 hunted much just on that account ; afraid some careless 

 fellow like yourself would shoot me." 



" If you live until I shoot you, you will live a great 

 many years," said I ; " and if it is all the same to you, 

 don't swing your gun this way quite so often." 



" You needn't be afraid of me, I am too old a man to 

 be fooling with a gun, and have it go off acci " 



He didn't finish what he started out to, simply be- 

 cause his gun did go off accidentally. Such a sheepish 

 look as he gave me. 



" Gosh ! " said he, " I don't see how that happened." 



" Don't you ? " said I ; » then I will tell you. For the 



