254 



RECREATION. 



than that particular September evening. 

 Ducks were in the pond, and that night's 

 dreams for me were fraught with marvel- 

 ous wing shots, unaccountable misses and 

 ducks coming to the decoys by the thou- 

 sand. 



At 3 130 a. m., I made my way softly 

 downstairs, land after satisfying my appe- 

 tite, picked up my gun and shooting coat 

 and quietly left the house. A light breeze 

 was blowing from the Northwest, and the 

 calm of early morning was broken only by 

 the rustle of the honeysuckle against the 

 piazza and the occasional crowing of some 

 cock at a neighboring farm house. Off to 

 the South, nearly a mile away, I could 

 plainly hear the 'surf breaking on the beach, 

 a sure sign of a Southerly wind shortly 

 after sunrise. Conditions were perfect, 

 and I started briskly for the pond. Day 

 had not yet begun to break, but the myriad 

 stars gave sufficient light for me to dis- 

 tinguish the path. 



I found the boat and decoys precisely as 

 I had left them, and was soon rowing 

 toward Sandy Point. By the time I had 

 reached the blind, a rosy East denoted the 

 approach of day, and the deep shadows 

 along the shore gave a picture I couid 

 admire but have since learned to appreci- 

 ate. A bunch of ducks swept by as I was 

 putting out the decoys and, while taking 

 the boat around to a small, sheltered bay, I 

 heard the whistle of wings as a flock of 

 black ducks held their way across the 

 marsh. 



When I reached the blind it was nearly 

 sunrise, and I looked up and down the pond 

 for birds. After waiting some time I saw 

 a small bunch working toward me. They 

 were flying low and I was positive they 

 would see the decoys. They did, and 

 swung in over them, making no attempt to 

 light, however. As they went by I emptied 

 a charge of 6's into them. Two fell and 

 when they floated ashore and I saw they 

 were teal, my joy was great. 



I picked up my teal and was examining 

 them with admiration mixed with delight, 

 when I happened to glance down the pond 

 and along the beach. There, strung out in 

 line, with wings spread ready to light, were 

 3 geese. I was out of sight in an instant, 

 for iat first they looked as if they were 

 coming right past the blind ; but, poking 

 up my head a few seconds later, I saw 

 them just settling to the water about half a 

 mile away on the opposite shore. They 

 swam slowly in, and disappeared behind a 

 large ledge that jutted out into the pond. 

 I sat still a moment. There was a pos- 

 sibility they would swim up along the 

 shore and, if they reached the narrows, I 

 might get a long shot at them, as the pond 

 there was only about 100 yards wide; but, 



as there was little chance of that, I decided 

 to creep up on them. 



I picked up my gun and started for the 

 skiff. While pushing off the boat I fell 

 in and got drenched; luckny, however, I 

 had taken off my shooting jacket and it 

 was safe in the boat, so of course I didn't 

 mind the water much. When at last I 

 managed to jump into the boat I tumbled 

 over the oars, and eventually landed in the 

 bottom, with 3 inches of water, half a dozen 

 crabs and a tin bailer around me. 



I was up in an instant, and, grabbing the 

 oars, started for the other shore. I pride 

 myself on my rowing ability, but I don't 

 think I ever did 100 yards quite so quickly 

 as then. On reaching the shore I pulled 

 the boat up among the rocks and stood still 

 a moment to collect my scattered senses. 



The wind was wholly in my favor, for it 

 had swung to the South'ard and was ruf- 

 fling the pond with tiny ripples. I walked 

 along the shore until I came to a promon- 

 tory from which I could see the shore for 

 nearly a mile on either side. I peeped cau- 

 tiously around a large rock and began to 

 examine the shore carefully. There was 

 my game, but to my amazement and rap- 

 ture, instead of 3 geese there were at least 

 20, all feeding quietly among the rocks. 



Slipping in a charge of double B's, I 

 climbed through the bushes which lined the 

 bank, and started for my game. The tall 

 brush along the shore gave me ample 

 cover, the wind was just right, and I had 

 the long looked for opportunity presented 

 at last of killing a goose, my one ambition. 

 I was compelled to crawl through deep 

 grass the whole distance, and by the time 

 I had covered the J / 2 mile I was as be- 

 draggled a specimen of humanity as one 

 would care to see. I was intent on slaying 

 a goose, and all the water in the State 

 couldn't have dampened my ardor a par- 

 ticle. 



When I had reached a point about where 

 I thought they were, I crept to the edge 

 of the bushes and peeped through. Lo and 

 behold ! there they were, not 20 yards 

 away, placidly feeding, unconscious of dan- 

 ger. I remember counting them carefully. 

 There were just 22. I picked out the old 

 gander and was as deliberate as if I was 

 about to shoot a squirrel instead of a 

 honker. I poked the gun through the 

 bushes, brought it quietly to my shoulder, 

 and as the gander swam out in a line with 

 the sights, I let go. 



I never heard such a flapping and com- 

 motion as those geese made as they tried to 

 rise; but instead of rising and flying off 

 they flapped along the top of the water, 

 and after dragging themselves out too 

 yards or more they settled in again and 

 commenced swimming across the pond. 



