DUCK-SHOOTING. 223 



of our breakfast and prepared for the start. Hav- 

 ing selected our boats and arranged them on the 

 wharf, we stowed our guns, ammunition-boxes, over- 

 clothes, a few decoys, and such other articles as fancy 

 suggested ; and then taking two little tin pails, we 

 put a nice lunch of cold duck, steak, bread, pickles, 

 cake, and fruit in one, and into the other water with 

 a large lump of ice bobbing around in the centre ; 

 and thus equipped, each man slid his boat down the 

 inclined wharf, and shipping his oars, pulled for his 

 favorite location. 



My friend and myself joined forces, and made our 

 first pause at a little bunch of wUd rice not far from 

 the house, called Fort Ossawatomie. Decoys are 

 not generally used in this region, as they cannot be 

 seen from any considerable distance by the birds on 

 account of the reeds ; but my friend had left his at 

 this place over night, and they were still "bobbing 

 around " — pretending to swim and looking deceit- 

 fully innocent — when we ensconced ourselves among 

 the reeds near by, crowding down into the bottom 

 of our boats well out of view. 



Several flocks were seen hovering over the hori- 

 zon, or moving along in the distance, scarcely discer- 

 nible against the morning clouds ; and although occa- 

 sionally they bade fair to approach, our hopes were 

 destined to disappointment, till a single bird turned 

 and headed directly towards us. When a bird is 

 approaching head on, it is almost impossible to tell 

 whether he is not going directly from you ; and at 

 times, except for his growing plainer every moment, 



