216 AMERICAN GAME. 
mer down in the mud-hole, with some great cider sper- 
rits—when what should I hear all at once but whistle, 
whistlin’ over head, the wings of a whole drove on ’em, 
so up I buckled the old gun; but they’d plumped down 
into the crick fifteen rpd off or better, down by the big 
pin oak, and there they sot, seven ducks and two big 
purple-headed drakes—beauties, I tell you. Well, boys, 
I upped gun and tuck sight stret away, but just as I was 
drawin’, I kind o’ thought Pd got two little charges of 
number eight, and that to shoot,at ducks at fifteen rod 
wasn’t nauthen. Well, then, I fell a thinkin’, and then 
I sairched my pockets, and arter a piece found two green 
cartridges of number three, as Archer gave me in the 
spring, so ] drawed out the small shot, and inned with 
these, and put fresh capson to besarten. But jest when 
Td got ready, the ducks had floated down with the 
stream, and dropped behind the pint—so I downed on 
my knees, and crawled, and Dash alongside on me, for 
all the world as if the darned dog knowed; well, I 
crawled quite a piece, till I’'d got under a bit of alder 
bush, and then I seen them—all in a lump like, except 
two—six ducks and a big drake—feedin’, and stickin’ 
down their heads into the weeds, and flutterin’ up their 
hinder eends, and chatterin’ and jokin’-—I could have 
covered them all with a handkercher, exceptin’ two, as I 
said afore, one duck and the little drake, and they was 
off a rod or better from the rest, at the two different 
sides of the stream—the big bunch warn’t over ten rods 
