CURRITUCK MARSHES. 137 



found in that way that is not known to most of the 

 gunners, and not always to the natives." 



"Keep still," I remarked at this jjointof our con- 

 versation, "there comes a magnificent flock of ducks, 

 if they would only turn this way what a shot they 

 would give us. " 



Vie were silent except for whistling, which we 

 did with the finest touches and the utmost skill. 

 The flock, spread out against the distant sky in an 

 angle-pointed line, was headed directly for our hid- 

 ing place. "We had crouched down on their first ap- 

 pearance, and grasping our guns and watched them, 

 waiting with increasing impatience and anxiety. 

 Nearer and nearer they came, over the distant marsh 

 undisturbed by any other gunner, and unattracted 

 by other decoys until they were directly in front of 

 us and not more tlian three hundred yards distant. 

 It was a moment of intense excitement, for if we 

 could once get our four barrels into those serried 

 ranks, there was no telling how many we might not 

 kill. 



On they came still nearer, we whistled more 

 softly and they answered with undiminished confi- 

 dence. No w they were over the meadow just beyond 

 our stools, a few minutes more of the same course 

 and they would be in our power. But alas, just as they 

 struck the open water they deflected their course a 

 little, not much, but enough to carry them beyond 

 fair reach of our guns, so that when we fired we were 

 only rewarded with three birds that plunged from 

 the flock headlong into the water. As they were 



