July, 1920 
FOREST AND STREAM 
393 
Patsy’s owner had a six-gauge double 
gun, in each barrel a load of ten drams 
of black powder on top of which were 
two ounces of number four shot, which 
he insisted was “the smallest that ducks 
can be killed with in this neck of the 
woods.” He learned better, though, be- 
fore the day was over. The other two 
of us had ten-gauge guns, the writer’s 
loaded with six drams of black powder 
and an ounce and a quarter of number 
seven chilled shot, while his friend’s 
shells were filled with five drams and an 
ounce and an eighth of fives. 
Old Major-domo was on the right, I 
on the left, and my friend in the middle. 
“And don’t any of you make a move until 
I give the word,” was the final order from 
the boss; then he tossed a rubber ball, a 
tennis ball I think, over the blind, and 
Patsy went after it. 
The dog needed neither coaching nor 
instruction of any kind. He tossed it up, 
caught it as it came down, batted it away 
with his paws, followed it up, rolled over 
and over with it in his mouth — no trained 
dog in a circus ever did better. 
For a short time the performance was 
lost on the ducks, then a white-backed 
canvas stretched his neck and began to 
take notice. He must have informed the 
others, because immediately the entire 
“gang” took a look, then headed for 
shore, gabbing to each other and swim- 
ming slowly, as if wishing for a ring- 
side seat, but debating whether they 
could afford to pay the price. 
As for me, I was nervous, my face 
itched, and I wanted to sneeze. Had I, 
Old Six-gauge would have been inclined 
to murder. 
The time seemed interminable; why 
would not those ducks hurry? They 
craned their necks, they turned their 
heads from side to side, they moved al- 
ways in the right direction, but at a speed 
which would never have won a swimming 
contest. Two bluebills were leading. 
There was danger that they might come 
too close, see something, give the alarm, 
and turn the bunch away. Patsy, how- 
ever, was onto his job. He kept as far 
from them as possible and was careful to 
make no quick move in their direction. 
A man could have shown no greater skill 
and judgment than did this dog. 
“How did you teach him?” Major- 
domo was asked. His whispered reply 
was, “Teach nothing! It’s the nature of 
the animal.” And I believe the man was 
right. Patsy could not have been taught 
all he knew. It must have been iastinet 
inherited through many generations, per- 
haps going back to the time when all dogs 
were wild and compelled to use their wits 
or starve. 
The bluebills acted as if a little uncer- 
tain, but did not turn back, and nothing 
alarmed the big flock, which still kept 
coming. 
The writer has always been a good 
judge of distance, but was off in this 
case. Peering through little openings in 
the top of the blind had strained his eyes, 
dimmed his vision, and made him think 
the ducks were within easy range when 
eighty yards out. Luckily he knew 
enough t© wait for the word. 
Presently something happened t© 
arouse the suspicions of a big white can- 
H 
Ma 
H 
unters 
ow 
ny 
Are Still 
4 * Guessing” About Shells 
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