WILD DUCKS AND WESTERN DUCK-SHOOTING. 181 



more ducks, other things being equal, will be 

 killed in the broken-down corn without a blind 

 than in the other with one. When the shooter sees 

 the ducks coming, he must not move himself, nor 

 must he move his gun, which young beginners 

 always have a strong inclination to do. If the 

 man moves, the ducks approaching in the air see 

 his movement. If the gun is moved, they catch 

 the glance of the light upon it in time to sheer 

 off' and balk the idle discharge of the too im- 

 patient shooter. When the ducks are seen com 

 ing, the man on the ground should lie quite still 

 until they are over him, or almost over him. He 

 should then rise quickly to a sitting posture, at 

 which they will check their forward flight, and 

 tower up into the air. That is the right time to 

 shoot — I may say the only time, in this descrip- 

 tion of the sport, in which there is a real good 

 chance of killing. He who is trying for ducks 

 in this way must not expect to be able to get on 

 his feet to shoot. If he tries to do so, he will 

 kill no ducks. He who cannot rise to a sitting 

 posture from his back and shoot that way must 

 wait for the ducks on his hands and knees, and 

 shoot kneeling. It does not much matter which 

 of these modes is adopted — although lying on the 



