i68 



RECREA TION. 



for plover, intimating that I needed no 

 points in this game. Taking my birds 

 to boat, I sat there imitating their calls, 

 hoping to induce the flock to return, 

 which they presently did, alighting a 

 little above. 



I was out of the boat in an instant, 

 creeping cautiously toward them. I 

 sighted one and fired. It wheeled away. 

 I turned, gave it the other barrel and got 

 it. They settled just beyond. I loaded as 

 I ran, but before I could get my gun in 

 position they were many rods farther. 

 They never fly straight, and are the 

 most aggravating things ; dodging and 

 flying seemingly right at one. But oh 

 such sport! They led me a merry chase, 

 and I foolishly followed these Will-o- 

 the wisps, securing five more. 



At last I bethought myself of the dis- 

 tance I had tramped through the sticky 

 mud, which weighted my boots down 

 sadly. Hank was coming toward me, 

 but without a bird. He was trying to 

 locate me, and the boat. 



"Did you beach her, Mrs. B., when 

 you went for your birds ?" 



Horrors ! On the water, away in the 

 distance, was a speck. The boat had 

 been floating down stream, while I had 

 been shooting up. Hank flew like the 

 wind down the island shore, calling 

 back: 



" Go ahead, I'll have to swim for it." 



I faced about, conjuring up all man- 

 ner of improbable happenings. What 

 if the boat, striking an obstruction, 

 should upset, losing my cartridges, and 



my duck, now more precious than ever. 

 Turning quickly, I shouted : 



" Save it, Hank ! Save my duck," but 

 he too was out of sight and hearing. It 

 seemed a long, long time before I heard 

 his familiar whistle. He said he had 

 gone to the lowest point of the island, 

 swam after and overtook the boat, and 

 then recovering his clothing returned 

 with the valuable freight. Had ever 

 a punter such a tax upon his pa- 

 tience ? 



''I am so ashamed," said I, " but it 

 all helps to make up the lesson in expe- 

 rience." Yet neither of us could help 

 laughing heartily — and he good natur- 

 edly declared he hadn't had such a pic- 

 nic since election day. Whatever that 

 meant he didn't explain. 



All along the route home, every small 

 object assumed, to my strained vision, 

 the form of a duck. Knots of wood on 

 the edge of the marsh ; curled and 

 dried-up brown lily leaves, moving in 

 the distance, all set my nerves agog. 



We made the home landing at five 

 o'clock, in time to get my bag — the mal- 

 lard, eight snipe and the blue-bill — on 

 the steamer, addressed to my hus- 

 band. A little tired ? Yes, and a lame 

 right shoulder, the effect of my gun's 

 kicking (the loads being heavy), but 

 eager to try it again. I have been on 

 several such expeditions since, and with 

 more success, but never with the same 

 degree of excitement, anticipation and 

 pleasure, which even my many mishaps 

 failed to destroy. 



