348 FEATHERED GAME 
bunch of a dozen birds come hurrying in from 
outside. They mean to pass by two hundred 
yards away, but one duck sees the decoys, darts 
from the main body, sets its wings and comes 
with a rush. Another sees the first one and fol- 
lows suit; then another, and another, until the 
whole flock turns and comes in also. Just as 
they are about to settle in the water some old 
drake catches the glimmer of a gun-barrel, or 
sees the gunner’s eyelids move, or hears his 
heart beat, or merely takes alarm on general 
principles and forthwith begins to back water 
with his engines and then to climb for a higher 
altitude. The rest hesitate, then as the gun- 
ner rises, away in every direction like the burst- 
ing of a bombshell, goes the flock of thoroughly 
startled ducks, no two together. Choose your 
birds quickly and aim well! Put plenty of shot 
into him or he will surely escape, for he is a 
rugged little rustler. The air is full of whiz- 
zing wings and merry whistlings, yet before one 
can think twice they are only a memory and half 
a mile away the stragglers are uniting again. 
Another collection of black specks out toward 
the open sea begins to be heard making its mu- 
sic, coming ever nearer and the noise growing 
