2$2 



RECREATION, 



let me show you how to destroy that bunch 

 coming over." 



Uncle Snap complied, slyly slipping out 

 the shells as he did so. Over came the 

 flock, 15 or 20 teal, nicely bunched. The 

 boastful Mose gave a hurried squint along 

 the barrels and pulled, snapped a hammer, 

 pulled again with like result, and became 

 aware of the fact that Uncle Snap was 

 rolling in the grass choking with laughter. 



"Did you get 'em all?" he gurgled. "Did 

 you destroy the whole bunch ? Oh, Lordy, 

 to see you trying to bring down a whole 

 bunch of ducks with an emptv gun ! You 

 will tie shoes to my toe, will you?" 



Mose tried to be indignant but failed, and 

 together they waded in and gathered up 

 the teal. Going a little farther they came 

 to a muddy trail leading from one pond to 

 another, beaten down by the feet of otters 

 and coons. A quarter of a mile beyond, on 

 a bank of sand lying between the lake and 

 the lagoons, they discovered a place where 

 the playful otters wallowed and rolled, and 

 in the course of the morning several more 

 such places were found. 



Heading back for camo at last, the A. T's. 

 picked the ducks as they went, and in a 

 short time had them over a fire in the pot. 

 Eating a hasty lunch, Mose went out again, 

 with half a dozen traps, to set where the 

 sign was seen, Uncle Snap remaining in 

 camp. When Mose got back it was nearlv 

 sundown. His pard was removing the 

 ducks from the pot, and laying them on their 

 backs in the bake oven, with a little piece 

 of fat pork on each breast. An odor arose 

 from the steaming birds impossible to de- 

 scribe. The eyes of the A. T.'s met, and 

 they licked their chops in unison. 



"Put on the cover quick/' said Mose. "I 

 can't stand it." 



"What'll we have to go with 'em, fried 

 taters or biscuit?" said Uncle Snap. 



"Let's make it biscuit," said Mose. "I'll 

 make 'em, and you 'tend to the ducks." 



Suiting the action to the words, in half 

 an hour the Amateur Trappers were facing 

 each other with a duck apiece, and a plate 

 of hot biscuits and gravy in front of them. 



"Do you s'pose it is because we are so 

 hungry, or are these teal really the best 

 things in the world?" 



"Sure they are. Some of these million- 

 aires would give a thousand dollars for this 

 mess if they were to get a taste of it ; 

 but, to paraphrase old Omar. Khayyam, 

 what more precious could we buy with the 

 gold than the ducks we sell? No, I wouldn't 

 sell out this feast for twice a thousand dol- 

 lars ; that is (slapping his somewhat empty 

 pocket significantly), I don't think I would." 



"Amen," said Uncle Snap, as he buried 

 his glittering fangs in the juicy breast of an 

 unconscious teal. 



For some time the silence was unbroken 



save for the occasional cracking of a bone, 

 a smacking of lips, or a sigh of satisfac- 

 tion. At length, when only one duck of 

 the 5 remained, they drew back as if by 

 mutual consent. Simultaneously their hands 

 sought their belts, to relieve the increased 

 circumference. 



"If this doesn't kill us it will make us 

 fat," said Uncle Snap. "I'm too full to 

 wash dishes now. Let's play casino, to see 

 who has to clean up." 



"Done," said Mose; and with the lantern 

 hanging by a string from the ridgepole, 

 they commenced the game, reclining on 

 their elbows on the blankets. 



"Let's not play for everything at once," 

 said Uncle Snap. "Those pots and things 

 are greasy as the mischief." 



"All right," said Mose, "here goes for the 

 plates and everything but the pot and 

 skillet." 



"Did you ever see the confounded cards 

 run that way in your life !" growled Mose 

 presently; "5 points, while you are 21. 

 Here goes for the greasy pots." 



Luck was still against him, and with a 

 yell of rage he grabbed the pots, pans, etc., 

 and rushed down the bank to the lake, 

 muttering something about the villain who 

 invented cards. When he got back Uncle 

 Snap had the gun cleaned and laid away, 

 and the bed made down. Putting out the 

 lantern, they lay on their backs watching 

 the flicker of the firelight in the top of the 

 tent, and talking of the past, present and 

 future. 



"Supposing," said Uncle Snap, "we could 

 make enough this winter, trapping, to take 

 us on a fishing trip next summer, wouldn't 

 it be fine!" 



"Too good to be true. If we make our 

 expenses it will be more than we usually 

 do," said Mose. "One thing puzzles me, 

 and that is, why people will live in houses, 

 when they can live in tents just as well. 

 I never can feel 'loose an' free' in a house." 



"Yes, a tent is the thing, all right 

 enough," said Uncle Snap, "but I would 

 just as lieve have been in a house that 

 night the big storm caught us on Tiger 

 creek." 



Mose was forced to admit that a house 

 would have come in mighty handy on that 

 occasion, 2 years before, when the A. T.'s 

 were camped on the banks of Tiger creek, 

 hunting and trapping as usual. They had 

 a little old tent 5 feet high, well ditched, 

 with a soft bed of pine straw inside. One 

 night about 9 o'clock they were aroused 

 from the enjoyment of the bed by a low, 

 almost inaudible muttering off in the South- 

 west. This gradually increased, until they 

 recognized it to be the continuous rolling 

 of distant thunder, something unusual in 

 the winter. It was 2 hours before the storm 

 burst on them, but it made up for lost time. 



