194 



RECREATION. 



lay in our bunks on the scow, we could 

 hear the floating ice grating and rasping 

 along the side. 



Several times I heard the weird, thrilling 

 cry of the swan and wished for the approach 

 of dawn. " Well, boys, crawl out," called 

 Will. " Guess you fellows would sleep till 

 noon if some one didn't kick you out." 



" Oh my," yawned Fred, " I'm afraid last 

 night closed every thing and that skates 

 and not guns are what we'll need." 



" Yes," said Louis, the keeper. " You fel- 

 lows should have come down last week. 

 Swans were thicker than hops and about 250 

 canvasbacks were using the lake. Maybe 

 the swans will keep a hole open though." 



Breakfast disposed of, we shouldered 

 guns and started through the cottonwoods 

 for the lake. In the East a long gray streak 

 gave, promise of the approaching day as, 

 under the guidance of Louis, we threaded 

 our way among the gaunt and gloomy 

 tree trunks. 



Before we reached the shore of the lake 

 snow began to fall and when we came to 

 the prairie the gray ground was rapidly be- 

 ing carpeted in white. Faster and thicker 

 came the flakes until it looked as if we 

 were to experience a regular storm. 



" Well, this is tough," quoth Will. 

 , " Looks as if we were in for it this time. 

 Don't see any birds either and the lake is 

 apparently frozen tight." 



" Wait a minute and let's see if we can 

 hear any at the upper end," said Louis, 

 " Yesterday the swans were all using there." 



Huddled up on the prairie in the blind- 

 ing snow, we strained our ears for a sound 

 of game. 



" Yes, they are there, all right. Hear 

 'em? " said Louis, as a faint sound like the 

 bark of a small dog was borne to our ears. 



Away we went for the lake and nearing its 

 margin we found that a channel which 

 paralleled the shore remained open. 



" Charlie," said Will, " you and Tom go 

 up to the little lake; take some of the small 

 decoys with you and set out for canvas and 

 swans. Fred and I will take the boat and 

 set out up at the head of Big lake." 



Charlie and I were soon loaded with swan 

 decoys and on our way up the shore of Big 

 lake. Arriving we found there quite a 

 bunch of swans. They had an open hole 

 several acres in extent. A short canal 

 connects Big lake and Little lake, and near 

 the entrance we found our light hunting 

 boat and the box of canvasback decoys. 



" Charlie, you put some duck decoys in 

 the boat and I'll take a run up the lake and 

 see where the birds are using." 



The snow was yet beating mercilessly in 

 our faces and although we could hear swans 

 at the other end of the lake we could not 

 tell which side of it they had open. 



Thin but new and tough ice covered the 

 entire lower end of the lake, and, knowing 

 the exertion required to put our boat 



at the other end would be severe, we did 

 not care to take a wrong direction. 



In the face of the pelting storm I hastily 

 made my way up the shore and soon came 

 to several small bunches of swans sitting on 

 the ice. Taking wing at my approach they 

 flew toward the upper end of the lake. 



Soon I was enabled to make out the loca- 

 tion of the main body of birds and found 

 they occupied quite a space of open water 

 on the opposite side. 



As I hastened toward my companion the 

 storm suddenly abated and the atmosphere 

 cleared. With one man at the bow break- 

 ing ice and the other at the stern shoving in 

 the mud we started, but as the ice was phe- 

 nomenally tough slow progress resulted. 



Finally we hit on a plan which eventually 

 brought us to open water- With one of us 

 tugging at the bow line from the shore the 

 other waded at the rear of the boat pushing- 

 it forward and rocking it from side to side. 



This treatment was severe on a cedar 

 boat, but what were we to do, with a flock 

 of swans a few hundred yards from us and 

 the shooting instinct strong in our hearts? 



As we neared the open water the birds 

 again took flight with a tremendous racket. 



The larger part of the flock went toward 

 the Columbia river, on the bosom of which 

 they settled in a clamorous raft. 



Quickly putting out the canvasback de- 

 coys, of which we had about 25, and our 

 imitation swans, we drew the boat into a 

 depression in the bank. Finding some 

 wire netting on the bank we adjusted it 

 and prepared to construct a blind. 



Hardly had we made a move in that di- 

 rection, however, when down came a large 

 flock of canvasbacks. Seeing them coming 

 we stood motionless and they went by us, 

 with that sound of rushing wings the duck 

 hunter never forgets. One great circle and 

 they came again. 



"Let 'em go," said Charlie; "we don't 

 want to fire into such a big flock." 



In a second they were right in front of 

 us, dropping into the water and splashing it 

 on the decoys. 



It was a temptation but, believing in 

 shooting with some system, we allowed 

 them to depart in peace. Single birds and 

 small detachments would better look out 

 but we do not want to frighten large flocks. 



The old wire frame work was shortly hid- 

 den by dead grass and broken twigs and 

 our blind was complete. With shell sacks 

 open on the floor of our shelter, we awaited 

 the coming of something to shoot at. ' 



We were not long kept in suspense. 

 Coming up the lake on swiftly beating pin- 

 ions we descried the form of a canvasback. 



Bobbing in the gentle breeze the decoys 

 attracted his attention and in he came with 

 a graceful curve. 



"Take him, Charlie!" 



At the crack of his 10 gauge cannon the 

 plump form fell among our decoys. 



