300 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



other, as we often see mallards, blue-bills, or pin-tails 

 do when coming down vertically from a great height to 

 alight among their kind. They were fully 100 yards- 

 behind us. Lying on the flat of our backs we could 

 not see very well, and dared not move. George bent 

 back his head and watched them through a peep-hole 

 in his eyebrows ; while I could indistinctly see them 

 by looking cross-eyed over the end of my nose. On 

 they came with set wings, right over' us. We let them 

 pass by ; they were only about 30 yards above and from, 

 us. Quickly arising to a sitting position, we let drive, 

 George at the left wing of the flock, I at the right, and. 

 down came four, each making a double. George turned., 

 to me, never cracking a smile, and said " Shake." I 

 put on a serio-comic look, accepted his proffered hand^ 

 and looking him straight in the face remarked that it , 

 was a "beautiful day.'' " Very" replied he, and then 

 he burst but into a loud laugh. There is a quiet satis- 

 faction that can only be known, and must have been ex- 

 perienced, to enjoy, when two hunters both make 

 "doubles." Nothing may be said at the time, perhaps, 

 not at all, but they both appreciate it just the same. 



A large flock coming toward us quickly turned off^ 

 as if in fright. The cause was clear, a young man was 

 approaching us in the exposed field. Walking directly 

 up to us, he commenced to talk, and his first words dis- 

 closed his misfortune, — an impediment in his speech. 



Said he, " I-yi-yi thu-thu-ought I-yi-yi wou-wu-would 

 GU-cu-cu-ome o-o-over." 



" You are welcome, young man," replied George, 

 " but don't you see we are in a blind, and geese coming- 

 all the time ? They will see you. If we can do any- 

 thing for you, we wiU gladly do so, but let us know 

 at once, and then move quickly." 



