Aug. 25, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
147 
ting the decoys off the point again. Ducks were exceed- 
ingly scarce, especially in the cove. Few came to the 
decoys, and they were coots and old squaws exclusively. 
The Major and I partly killed the monotony of waiting 
for shots by getting the Doctor's lo-gauge shells mixed 
with our i2-gauge ones. This caused us to have busi- 
ness on hand. Two coots came for the decoys, -and our 
guns failed to work. The Doctor had a monopoly of the 
shooting for a while. It took half an hour to rectify our 
mistake. 
The Doctor passed most of the time lying in the 
sun and reading a book. I crawled over to the Major 
and said, 'T am sorry that ducks are so scarce. People 
here informed me that they were plentiful." 
"The Major looked over the top of his glasses and re- 
plied, "I have known you but a short while. I took you 
to be a person who counts the success of a trip by the 
fun and rest one gets out of it, rather than by the amount 
of game one shoots. I hope I have not been mistaken?" 
"I hope not, Major, but you and the Doctor have 
come" 
"Tut, .tut. Now don't worry about us at all. We are 
enjoying ourselves immensely. Just see Dean lying 
on his back over there. He is totally oblivious of 
the absence of ducks and is so interested in his read- 
ing that he doesn't hear us talking about him. Only 
see what a beautiful vermilion the sun is painting his 
nose. This is freedom for him and for me too. The 
Doctor has forgotten for the present that there are such 
places as colleges and lecture rooms." 
We watched a flock of old squaws feeding in the 
dazzle of the sun just outside of Hump Rock. Presently 
the Major looked up and half in soliloquy said: "Yes, 
this is freedom, indeed; for me — this is rest. If you 
had read between the lines of my note to Forest and 
Stream you might have discovered the wail of an old 
man who wanted to get out' into the sunburn. The wail, 
in fact, of one who has outlived his comrades of the 
rod and line. Yet somehow I don't feel old. No, I feel 
as if I never could be old. I wanted to engage in one 
more campaign before I die and for two months have 
assisted in organizing a regiment. Then came disap- 
pointment. -The Governor promised to take us and went 
back on his word; but let it pass. I got discouraged, 
tired and weak." 
"Major, if I only had sand enough to go to war I 
think I would like to enlist in a regiment commanded 
by you." 
The Major smiled and said: "I would like to com- 
. niand a regiment of sportsmen. I think they would 
prove good soldiers, who would take things as they 
come and not grumble about the weather or grub. War, 
you know, is the grandest game that man plays, and 
hunting tigers, bears and other wild animals doesn't 
compare with it. The game, you see, lacks arms and 
intelligence. I missed my vocation in not going to 
West Point; but in times of peace the army wo.uld be a 
dull place for me." 
The tide was half out and the wind gone entirely when 
we returned to the point, after lunch. The Sound was 
smooth as glass and not a cloud flecked the deep indigo 
sky. Long Island hung an even defined mirage far down 
on the southern skyline, and away in the east wings of 
pear] seemed to float against ethereal blue. They were 
sails. The outermost rocks showed 3 or 4 feet above the. 
surface and just beyond them a flock of ducks showed 
as large as ostriches. 
The decoys were taken up and we rowed out to the 
rocks, where we set them again. We found some dif- 
ficttlty in secreting ourselves, but the slowly falling tide 
aided us in overcoming this. 
The Doctor was absorbed in the contents of his book 
and appeared to be oblivious of his surroundings. Ap- 
pearances are sometimes deceptive, however, and this 
proved to be such a case. The magic word "Mark!" 
caused the sportsman to overcome the student. Quickly 
dropping his book he grabbed the lO-bore. There was a 
commingling of flash, roar and smoke and a duck tum- 
bled from somewhere out of the air and lay motionless 
on the water far beyond the outermost limits of the 
decoys. It was the most remarkable shot made on the 
trip and fully 80 yards away. 
We stayed until the sun dipped like a burnished shield 
of gold into the emerald sea. Then a faint night air 
breathed raw and chill across the darkening waters. It 
came out of the corner where Falkner's eye was flashing 
and caused infant waves to murmur low complaints 
against the somber rocks. We got our decoys and left, 
and five ducks — old squaws and coots — ^lay in the bottom 
of the boat. 
When we reached the cottage the fire was out and it 
was chilly. This puzzled us, for we had left a good 
coal fire at noon and had adjusted the drafts so it 
would keep. A fresh blaze was started, the kettle was 
filled with water, and we drew close around the stove; 
but it grew colder. A look revealed the fire barely 
blazing. "It evidently needs lubrication," said the Major, 
reaching for the shovel and kerosene. The flames roared 
and the pipe got red hot. "Just a little coaxing, you 
see, and there you are." In about three minutes we 
began to freeze again. "It is singular it doesn't burn," 
said the Doctor. "The wood was perfectly dry," 
"We will piunp oil as long as it lasts," replied the 
Major, and suited the action to the words. Again there 
was a roar and the pipe turned red. For a while we 
were nearly roasted; then gradually began to freeze. 
Once more was oil applied, but with no better success. 
Finally the kettle got to snapping and hissing in a way 
that portended an explosion. One of us lifted it from the 
stove and it was empty! I had filled it to the brim, and 
the mystery was solved. An examination revealed a 
large hole in the bottom, and it had been a contest be- 
tween fire and water. 
After supper we had company. An elderly gentleman 
with a red nose and high-pitched voice called. This in- 
dividual developed a nervous tendency to absorb all the 
red-eye in camp. Between imbibitions and expectora- 
tions of tobacco juice on the front lids of the stove he 
{■mparted the information that he was a veteran of the 
Civil War and a church deacon. He grew sentimentally 
eloquent and told us of his deep love for his neighbors 
and about the way they persecuted him. Then came 
army reminiscences, and he frankly and unblushingly 
owned that but for his valuable services the war would 
have ended differently. We admitted that the man's 
modesty was ghastly. 
"What corps were you in?" asked the Major at the 
first chance, 
"Fifth— noble Fifth. Experience, did you ask? Gad! 
You bet I've had experience. Why, why, you won't be- 
lieve me, I know. Most people I talk with get jealous 
of what I saw, and did, too. Gad! I rode seventy-five 
miles" 
"Pardon me, comrade," interrupted the Major; "your 
narrative, I have no doubt, will prove interesting, as 
well as pathetic; but before you proceed I would like a 
little information. Tell me, was it in the Fifth Army 
Corps that you learned to stew rum in tobacco juice?" 
And he pointed at the top of the stove. 
Our caller blinked and was phazed. Then he tried 
to assume an injured air, couldn't, and finally compro- 
mised by pouring out four fingers without being asked. 
Then he buttoned his coat, extended a cordial invita- 
tion to himself to call at any time and drifted away in 
the darkness. 
"Nerve counts for much in the fight for existence," 
said the Major, "and that duffer has plenty of it and 
will get through life without hurting himself. I'll bet 
the commissary saw more of him than the firing line 
did." 
There was more shooting on Sunday than wc had heard 
at any time, but not by us. After breakfast the Doctor 
and I voted for a walk, while the Major preferred to 
work on some promised manuscript. 
Our walk took us to Chimney Corner, where the club 
house stands. To the northwest the water was alive with 
coots and old squaws; and there was a sprinkling of 
broadbills. Down in the west a long line of boats ex- 
tended from shore far out into the Sound. There was 
a constant popping of guns, and all in open defiance of 
game laws. 
The morning sun shone warm and touched with soft 
luster miles of this romantic shore line, and the island- 
dotted waters. Five miles to the west lay those emerald 
gems of the Sound, the wondrously beautiful Thimbles, 
with which legend has connected the pirate Kidd. On 
one of these islands a curious hole in the solid rock is 
said to have served as a punch bowl for Kidd and his 
crev;^. In another there- is a harbor named after the 
pirate captain, and it is perfectly invisible a few yards 
away. The supposition is that Kidd's vessel found 
refuge here, as by lowering her topmasts she could be 
completely concealed. 
Returning to the cottage, we found that the Major 
had made not the slightest headway with his manu- 
script. The deacon-veteran had paid him a visit. 
Dr. D ean left us that night. We missed him very 
much during the rest of our stay. 
We had just cleaned the dishes when the owner of the 
boat w;e were using dropped in. The conversation drifted 
to a discussion of game and fish laws. Like many other 
misguided people, our visitor argued that laws of this 
kind are made for the benefit of the wealthy to the dis- 
advantage of the poor. "I would like to know," said Tie, 
"what right any man or set of men has to tell mfe tliat 
I can't shoot a bird whenever I want to. What right 
have these people to tell me when and how I shall take 
a fish? They didn't make the birds and fishes and they 
don't own them, neither." This argument was empha- 
sized with a resounding thump on the table and a dull 
look of wisdom. 
The Major toyed with a fork and asked: "Do the 
birds and fishes belong to you?" 
Our visitor looked puzzled an instant, then answered: 
"No; but they don't belong to them, neither." 
"Who are the owners, then?" 
This was a poser— something our friend had not 
thought of before. His natural antagonism to wealth 
and intelligence had ever laid at their door the blame 
for what his contracted mind considered an injustice. 
He sputtered and stammered and finally said: "They 
belong to me as much as they do to them." 
The Major tapped the table with the fork. "Yes, ray 
man," he said, "these thiijgs belong to you just as much 
as to them, but no more. The game and fish belong to 
all of the people, and the people rule in this country. 
You should understand that all the people of a State 
have more right to tell one individual when and how 
he can take their fish and kill their game than one indi- 
vidual has to kill and take what belongs to all. Now, 
what right have you to kill and take the game and fish 
which belong to all when the established rules of all 
distinctly say you shall not do so? Ought you to hold 
special privileges over all the people?" 
"That's nice soundin', but," with a look of triumph, 
"what right has this game got roamin' 'round on my 
land? And what right have these fish to swim in the 
water that flows through my land? What right have 
people got to fish and shoot on my land?" 
"The fact that game roams over your land and that 
fish swim in the waters which happen to flow through 
your land gives you no right whatever to kill and take 
fish and game out of season. You must know that the 
State specifies conditions even under which you are priv- 
ileged to hold and own land. Fail to pay your taxes and 
the government under which you live will confiscate that 
which it has allowed you to hold under conditions. If a 
man's cow or horse gets on your land, that neither es- 
tablishes your ownership to the animal nor gives you 
the right to kill, although there are laws under which 
you may collect damages. The State reserve^s condi- 
tions under which game can roam over the land and 
fish live in the waters within its limits. If people tres- 
pass on your posted land that authority which tells you 
when and how you may take fish and game will prose- 
cute them." 
Our friend had evidently strurfc a hard proposition. 
He scratched his head and said: "Well, jest to be 
agreeable, we'll allow you're right. But whab hurt can 
it do to catch fish at any time?" 
"When I was a young man I saw the Western' plains 
covered with thousands of buffalo. Do you know that 
at the present time there is not a herd of fifty wild buf- 
falo on those plains? There were no laws govern- 
ing the slaughter of the animals at that time. Let 
me tell you that wise game legislation at that time 
would have preserved the buffalo and that eyes as young 
as yours could have feasted on just such sights as mine 
did. Wild pigeons used to darken the sun. They have 
gone with the buffalo. Game laws would have kept them 
with us indefinitely and they could have been huiuted to- 
day. Men who believed as you do, rich and poor alike, 
dehberately exterminated them. As it has been with the 
pigeon and buffalo, so it would have been with the fish. 
I have been connected with State and National fish' 
commissions and can speak with authority when I tell 
you I know many rivers and streaius which used to 
swarm with fish, but which became barren through lack 
of judgment in fishing them at all times and in all ways 
and never replenishing the diminishing supply. 'Wise 
laws and scientific fishculture have reclaimed some of 
these waters and they are once more prolific. This has 
cost time, study, work and a heavy expenditure of money; 
and this has benefited you as well as the richest man in 
the United States. Now, my man, are you in favor of 
protecting or destroying this great work?" 
"The words, "Are you in favor of protecting or de^ 
stroying this great work?" acted like an electric shock. 
He slapped his knee and heartily said: "Well, I swear, 
I never heerd sech a lecture about fish and game afore. 
From now owt you can -count me in on fish and game 
protection. I'm mighty glad I come over to-night; it's 
done me a pile of good." 
When he had gone 1 congratulated the Major. '*You 
are a most successful fish and game protection evangel- 
ist,'' I said. "I would have got mad at the start." 
"Yes,'' he answered, "and lost your man. I never 
argue with such materi.al unless I think there is a chance 
to convert it._ It would not do to get mad, for it is just 
as essential in life to know how to land your man as 
it is to know how to land your fish. Keep cool, don't 
get excited, and you may land both; and there you are." 
Monday broke beautiful indeed. The sun shone with 
summer warmth and the surface of the Sound rose and 
fell in measured, unwrinlded undulations. The soft 
sighing of the infant surf curling on the sands resem- 
bled the low, even respirations of a weary sleeper. Hump 
Rock's ebony head barely showed, for it was flood tide 
and the smooth-running sea, dipping to within a foot 
or two of the rock's crest, scintillated like a silver crown 
circling the head of some black chieftain. Imagination 
conjured Falkner's Island, with its lofty lighthouse, di- 
rectly amidships, as a giant ocean greyhound anchored 
in a burnished sea. Sails dotted the water like snowy 
wings of living things, and flocks of ducks here and 
there resembled silent, gondola fleets. 
Few ducks decoyed that glorious morning, btlt it was 
here, on Vineyard Point, that I suffered the mortification 
of discharging my gun prematurely. While ducks were 
scarce, yet the Major was present to observe things. 
"See that little old squaw out there?" said he. "There 
he goes, down to the bottom. Does it occur to you that 
the little fellow isn't doing ail of that diving for fun? 
While we are talking he is skirmishing around on the 
bottom for something to eat. He may find a clam, but 
the chances are against him. The little chap is working — 
working_ that he may live. There are human grunters 
who whine through their existence and claim that the 
world owes them a living; but nature teaches that the 
right to exist depends on the ability to gain a living by 
work. The world knows and cares nothing about such 
presumptuous duffers, and it's a pity they were ever 
born." I think the Major was right. 
After lunch the Major preceded me from the cottage 
to the boat, When I arrived at the beach he was con- 
versing with an elderly gentleman, the driver of a gro- 
cery wagon. "There's a fine flock of ducks jest bej^end 
the pi'nt," the man was saying. "I see 'etn as I druv 
over the top of the ridge. Ef you git t'other side of the 
pi'nt you kin sneak on 'em dead easy an' kin knock over 
a hull lot at one shot." 
"Thanks, my friend, but we neither shoot nor eat 
such ducks as those. That breed is juiceless, indigestible 
and bad for the liver." 
"Good gracious! Is that so? What in thunder kind 
uv ducks be they, anyhow?" 
The Major's face was as solemn as that of a Sphynx 
as he answered: "They are wooden, ray friend. We 
set them out there this morning." 
"Git ap, Jack! Git ap, I say! Dang yUre lazy bones! 
Wooden— wooden, hey? Well, I'll be blowed!" A bend 
in the road hid the outfit. 
It was nearly low water, so the decoys were shifted 
to a point off Hump Rock. A few ducks were lured and 
we got an occasional shot. A coot puzzled us by swim- 
ming to a rock out of range, where he waddled out of 
the water and began to preen himself in the sun. He 
seemed decidedly at home and our firing failed to dis- 
turb him. I finally started after him with the boat. 
"He will fly before you get in range," said the Major. 
I expected he would, but he did nothing of the kind, 
for I rowed to within 25 yards and knocked him over. 
The Major declared the performance very unusual. The 
duck was not a cripple and an examination revealed no 
sign of blindness. 
A few ducks lay in the bottom of the boat when the 
keel grated on the sand after sundown. Two little girls 
tripped toward us. One carried a tin pail. "Please, 
Mister, get me a pail of water?" said she. I got the 
water while the M!ajor joked with them. I have failed 
to mention that these little ones met us with the same 
request every evening. The Major hugely enjoyed chaf- 
fing and joking with them and always "wondered" if 
they would meet us on sur way in. He evinced a deep 
love for children, and I mention this simply to illustrate 
this good feature of his personality. 
Next day proved peculiar — the most peculiar d^y for 
successful duck shooting, perhaps, that could be imag- 
ined. We failed to get out until near noon, and the fall- 
ing tide was not 3 feet below the crest of Hump Rock 
when the decoys were anchored off that spot. Not a 
ripple disturbed the surfaca — not even a noticeable swell. 
There was not a breath of air, and it was uncomfortably 
hot in the sun. The Sound resembled a limitless rat 
of molten metal, owing to a gauzy haze. Out of #ie edge 
of the mist curtain from all directions Soundward came 
ducks in singles, pairs and bunches. An incessant string 
swept to the decoys and we lay on top of the rock in 
plain $ight and fusilladed to our hearts' contend. It was 
