NOT ONE GOT AWAY. 



E. W. HUCKINS. 



Did I ever tell you how many black 

 ducks I killed at one shot? No? Well, 

 here goes, and I think you will at least 

 give me credit for telling the truth after 

 you hear the story. 



It was in October, '82, that I received a 

 letter from my friend Dan, of Nantucket, 

 telling me to come down as soon as I 

 could; that he had a flock of black ducks 

 marked down that he had been saving 

 for me all summer; that they had not been 

 disturbed and he wanted me to have the 

 first crack at them. 



I got the letter at 6 o'clock and retired 

 early. Could not sleep; heard the clock 

 strike every hour. Must have dropped into 

 a doze once, for a single "quack" startled 

 me. I jumped out of bed, looked at the 

 clock and found it had just struck one. 

 Went back and tossed till it struck 2, and 

 3. Got up at 4, packed my grip, got my 

 gun and started for the train. 



Left Boston on the 1 p. m. train; 

 reached Wood's Hole, the terminus of 

 the road, at 4 and took the steamer "Island 

 Home" for Nantucket. 



After a tiresome sail we got within a 

 mile of the pier when the steamer ran on 

 a sand bar and stuck. Gee! How im- 

 patient I was to get ashore and tackle 

 that bunch of black ducks! But there 

 was no help for it; we must wait for flood 

 tide before we could get off. 



What's that? A steam launch on port- 

 side. Came out to see if any passengers 

 wanted to be put ashore. 



Well, I should reckon. 



"Throw us your grip and tumble in," 

 said the skipper. 



What luck! I shall get in after all. 

 How good it seems to be moving again. 

 I tell you, I'm in luck. 



"Say Cap, this is a fine boat. How 

 much does she draw?" 



"About 2 feet. Say, did you feel that 

 jar? That means that she draws a lee- 

 tle more than there is here. Yes, I'm a 

 lobster if she isn't hard aground." 



"By thunder! I wish I had stayed on 

 the steamer. Some men never do know 

 when they are well off, and I guess I'm one 

 of 'em. Why did I get on this little toy, 

 anyway? How long shall we have to stay 

 here? Well, I can't swim ashore, so I 

 shall have to make the best of it. Cap, 

 do you ever try drown your feelings?" 



"Eum — eum. Well, once in a great 

 while." 



"Here you are. Drink hearty." 



"Stranger, I'm a codfish if that aint the 

 smoothest sherry I ever tasted. How's 



that? Whiskey? Well, you may bore a 

 hole as big as your head below the water 

 line of this boat if it isn't the gentlest 

 whiskey I ever got outside of. Tastes 

 splendid. And there's no kick to it. Let 

 me sample it again, will you? What brand 

 did you sav it was?" 



"I didn't say, Cap; but it is called Old 

 Reserve. Old, I suppose, refers to its 

 age, and reserve to something that is wait- 

 ing for you the next morning." 



"I don't care what they call it; it's the 

 best stuff, as far as taste goes, I ever put 

 down. But, as I said before, it lacks the 

 kick. Have one with me, pardner, out of 

 the iame bottle, and I'll make it all right 

 when we get ashore." 



"All right, Cap; plenty of it. Here's 

 hoping we don't have to stay on this 

 blooming old bar all night." 



"Well, bubby, we might be worse off. 

 You can enjoy a drink on a sand bar 

 just as well as on a — hie — sense me, pard; 

 wooden bar. See that slick over there? 

 That greasy place on the water; right over 

 there where those gulls are? Them's 

 blue fish. Never catch one? Come out 

 with me some day and I'll catch a barrel 

 of 'em for you. What! On a shooting 

 trip? I've got a team up in my barn 

 you can take any time you want 'em. 

 Say! you may keel haul me if that sherry 

 of yourn aint beginnin' to make me feel 

 at peace with all the world, and liberal to 

 a generous degree. I feel like making you 

 a present of the whole of Nantucket 

 island. Pass that bottle again, bubby, if 

 you don't mind. I'm afraid you and I 

 will part company soon. Do you see that 

 cat boat over yonder, heading for us? 

 Well; she's comin' to see if she can do 

 anything for us, and I know as you are in 

 a hurry to get ashore I shall have to bid 

 good-b-bye to you, and old reliable — hie — 

 'scuse me, pard, I mean old reserve; but 

 reliable is a good name for it, as I can tes- 

 tify to the kick which has come to — hie — 

 'scuse me — stay." 



"All aboard the cat." 



"See here, you scrap islander! What 

 you trying to do, run us down?" 



"Hello. Cap, what's the trouble?" 



"Trouble? Do I look like I was in 

 trouble? Never felt better in my life. 

 Say, Skipper, got a friend here, from 

 Boston. Old reliable— that's all right, 

 pard. You forgot to tell me your other 

 name. Wants to be put ashore." 



"All right; I'll take him." 



"Steamer went up agin the bar, so I 

 took him off, and darned if I didn't find 



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