A CAR LOAD OF DUCKS. 



J. B. A. 



It was along in November that I saw a 

 flock of mallards passing over our place. 

 The sight set my blood boiling, and as I 

 lost them in the hazy horizon there came 

 another flock. Then I knew if pard and I 

 were to get any game this fall we must be 

 starting for our old shooting grounds, 

 commonly known as Askanana. The town 

 consisted of a postofnce, barber shop, hotel 

 and store, all in one building, 15 x 20 feet. 

 It was named by Will Humphreys, in 

 honor of an old Indian chief whom he 

 had known in an earlier day. I rustled my 

 pard, John Stapleton, and we set out with 

 provisions for 2 weeks, for Askanana. 



John is a finely built fellow, 6 feet tall and 

 weighs, in his stocking feet, 225 pounds. 

 We arrived at our camp late at night and 

 were out at 4 o'clock after the ducks. 



It was a cold night and ice had formed 

 some 4 inches thick. 



We reached the lake at a little past 5 

 and were treated to a sight I shall never 

 forget. The ice was covered with ducks so 

 thickly you couldn't see a particle of it. 

 John went ahead, about 20 yards, and I fol- 

 lowed. Our intention was to jump the 

 birds and then fix our blinds for the shoot- 

 ing. 



As we approached the lake, I saw the 

 birds trying to rise; but they could not. 

 They were all frozen fast in the ice. Again 

 and again they endeavored to fly, but with- 

 out success. Finally, I fired at a straggler 

 that came over. At the report of my gun 

 the great flock arose; and, to my surprise, 

 the ice, for 20 rods about, cracked and up, 

 up they went. I was close to the edge and 

 jumped off, but not so with John. He was 

 near the centre, and as he came back and 

 looked over the edge, now some 500 feet 

 above me, I waved him a farewell, expect- 



ing every moment to see the ice go to 

 pieces, and John also. 



While John was going South, I returned 

 home with a sad heart; notified the neigh- 

 bors, and preparations were at once made 

 to hold a corpseless funeral. The next day 

 we were all astonished by receiving the fol- 

 lowing telegram: 



" Have landed all right and start for 

 home to-morrow morning, with a baggage 

 car full of ducks." 



This knocked us silly; but sure enough 

 John showed up, in good form, and ex- 

 plained. He is gifted with great presence 

 of mind, and as he went South, he noticed 

 the atmosphere getting warmer. After a 

 few hours' ride, the ice began to melt. He 

 took in the situation at a glance, and using 

 his gun as a club, began to knock the ducks 

 in the head. After an hour of hard labor, 

 he noticed a perceptible change in the 

 height of the icy cloud, and concluded he 

 was then within 500 feet of the earth. 

 Again he set to work, and after another 

 hour was only 200 feet high, and the re- 

 mainder of the ducks, whom he had not 

 liberated, were nearly exhausted. 



Finally John saw a hill, about a mile 

 ahead, and managed to make a landing 

 thereon. Then he proceeded to kill the 

 remainder of the ducks and made arrange- 

 ments, at once, to ship them to market. 

 He took out a pocket map, looked at the 

 sun, and found he was in Northern Loui- 

 siana. He shipped his birds to Chicago 

 and they netted him the snug sum of $500. 



It was a great adventure, and one John 

 does not care to repeat. His hair was nice 

 and black when he went out that morning, 

 but is now a bright red, owing probably to 

 his close proximity to the sun, during a 

 portion of his flight. 



THE COAL MONOPOLISTS. 



In the bitter winter weather, 



When the homes of the poor are cold 

 They put their heads together 



To add to their pile of gold; 

 And the price of coal goes higher, 



That before was much too high — 

 Well, they will not lack for fire 



In the land of the by and by. 



/ — Boston Courier. 



194 



