THE SUMMER DUCK. Q17 
off me, nor so far; so I tuck sight right-at the big 
drake’s neck. The water was quite clear and still, and 
seemed to have caught all the little light as was left by 
the sun, for the skies had got pretty dark, I tell you; 
and I could see his head quite clear agin the water— 
well, I draw'd trigger, and the hull charge ripped into 
*em—and there was a scrabblin’ and a squatterin’ in the 
water now, I tell you—but not one on ’em riz—not the 
fust one of the hull bunch; but up jumped both the 
others, and I draw’d on the drake—more by the whistlin’ 
ot his wings, than-that I seen him—but I drawed stret, 
Archer, any ways ; and arter I'd pulled half a moment I 
hard him plump down into the crick with a splash, and 
the water sparkled up like a fountain where he fell. So 
then I didn’t wait to load, but ran along the bank as 
hard as I could strick it, and when I'd got down to the 
spot, I tell you, little Dash had got two on ’em out afore 
I came, and was in with a third. Well, sich a cuttin’ 
and a splashin’ as there was you nivir did see, none on 
you—I guess, for sartin—leastwise I nivir did. Vd 
killed, you see, the drake and two ducks, dead at the 
first fire, but three was only wounded, wing-tipped, aud 
leg-broken, and I can’t tell you what all. It was all of 
nine o’clock at night, and dark as all out doors, afore 
I gathered them three ducks, but I did gather ’em; 
Lord, boys, why ’d stayed till mornin’, but I'd a got 
them, sarten. Well, the drake I killed flyin’ I could n’t 
find him that night, no how, for the stream swept him 
10 
