FOREST AND STREAM 
691 
Our Duck Shooting Expedition 
By Sa^wa. 
S PORTING trips in the Dominion of Cana¬ 
da provide many fine incidents for both 
picture and narrative and prove the coun¬ 
try’s wealth in natural beauties as well as game 
and fish. 
If the whole could be told about the trips 
in which I have taken a share, all the space 
given up to these stories would be required. 
Fortunately this is not required. Many of our 
sensations are alike. We all know the joys of 
anticipation, the bustle of preparation, and the 
pleasures of the journey. It is not necessary to 
record our feelings from the time the holiday 
is resolved upon to our return. The feeling 
comes strong over most of us once a year that 
we must for a time forget business and leave all 
worries and annoyances behind us and partici¬ 
pate in a real good outing. 
The party on our last trip consisted of Doc., 
Bob and myself. We have been away before and 
enjoyed some happy times together. Though 
small in number, our party is generally aug¬ 
mented as soon as we are in a position to re¬ 
ceive callers. Once we fix upon a date we have 
our hands full preparing for the trip. Provis¬ 
ions, cooking utensils, bedding, tent, decoys and 
dozens of other accessories have to be collected 
In our case we bring our collection to the boat¬ 
house and there load our seaworthy crafts. 
First our two canoes receive attention, and 
when they are well filled we return to the skiff 
and go through a like performance. Finally the 
gasoline launch is released from its moorings 
and a fair sized cargo placed therein. 
When we start out after all these prepara¬ 
tions, having taken a final look round to see 
that nothing is forgotten, we place the skiff be¬ 
hind the launch and the canoes in the rear of 
the skiff. On our last trip it was six o’clock 
when we left the boathouse. There was a heavy 
wind and we were three hours in doing the ten 
miles up the lake. The time passed so pleasantly 
singing and joking, that we could scarcely be¬ 
lieve how long we had been on the trip. Oc¬ 
casionally a mud-hen or a few stray ducks 
would cross our path, and the resulting shot 
broke the monotony of our journey and made 
it far more interesting. 
It was past nine o’clock when we landed at 
Fathergill Island, which is the property of the 
Doctor. He, leading, detailed two of our num¬ 
ber to pick out a good camp site, and the third 
engaged in gathering wood sufficient for the 
night and the following day. 
When the tent was erected, and stove put in, 
the bedding was next made up, and then we saw 
to the housing of all articles which required 
shelter. Finally, when all the miscellaneous col¬ 
lection we had managed to get together for a 
cargo was unloaded, the launch was anchored 
in a safe and sheltered spot in the bay, where it 
remained till we were ready to go back. 
By fhis time we began to think about supper, 
and though it came late, it was good, for Doc. 
makes up some splendid dishes and we indulged 
in a bountiful feast. During the supper and the 
smoke that followed, we conversed over things 
that had happened since our last gathering and 
arranged our camp program. 
For the following day I was ordered to ie- 
main in the hide at the Island, putting out a 
number of decoys; while Doc. and Bob were to 
go to Nicol’s Bay with more decoys. If at all 
successful they were to remain there all day. It 
was the paramount duty of all three to locate the 
fly if possible. This program was carried out, 
and the day afterward the positions were staked 
out for each man. 
One evening we held a late session, and at the 
wind-up (at one o’clock in the morning) Doc.’s 
orders were for Bob and me to take our canoe, 
with a fair number of decoys, and journey to 
Longue Pointe. We were to be on the ground 
early as there would be a good shoot, and by 
way of inducement it was added that unless we 
were particularly early, “that cuss of a Matt” 
would be there before us, and then good-bye to 
all our chances of a shot. 
Late as it was, we agreed to be up by five. 
The alarm clock was set (by Doc. of course) and 
we all retired. It didn’t seem that I had been 
in bed more than fifteen minutes when off went 
the alarm. I didn't want to get up and neither 
did Bob. But neither of us hesitated (we knew 
Doc. too well for that) and both got out and off. 
We never thought of looking at the face of the 
alarm clock or at our own watches for that mat¬ 
ter. We dressed hurriedly, and snatching a 
slice of bread and butter thick enough to float 
us if we capsized, we were off. 
It was a bitterly cold, frosty morning, and our 
four-mile paddle was anything but inviting. The 
sky was still dark and there was a heavy sea 
running. Our preparations were made in si¬ 
lence, and once we were launched, we paddled 
on as though we were machinery. Gradually 
the day broke, and we could just see that we 
were going in the right direction. As we pulled 
in and landed, the sun peeped over the pines on 
the farther shore. It was cold work putting out 
the decoys, but colder still in the hide. The hide 
was made of rocks piled five feet high, and 
looked more like a miniature fortress than a hide. 
Nevertheless it gave us shelter from the wind, 
and there we devoured our lunch. 
As we were getting nicely settled the sound of 
a paddle was heard in the distance, and finally 
we made out the form of a canoe with a man 
in it gliding toward us. “I guess that is some 
of those pesky redskins skunking around,” 1 
said. “Well, it’s not,” replied Bob. “It’s Matt, 
and lie’s making right for this spot. We’ll fool 
him this time. I.ay low till he comes up.” 
Accordingly we crouched low down under 
cover, but Matt’s keen eyes had spied us and as 
he came nearer he saluted us with: “Hello! 
What’s you fellows doing there? Did yer sleep 
there all night? Yer think yer darn smart, 
don’t yer? 
“Yes,” responded Bob, “we certainly do. You 
have got to get a shove on if you want to get 
the start of us. There’s lots of room above. 
Move on!” 
Matt sullenly and slowly obeyed and in a short 
time was lost to our view. We thought that we 
had not gained much as we remained there 
shivering in our cold barracks for several hours. 
The only specimen of game that we saw during 
the whole time was one wretched mud-hen, at 
which Bob fired and missed. The fly appeared to 
be at the farther end of the lake, and at last we 
became impatient. 
“Well, this is hard luck,” remarked Bob at 
length. “Let’s pull up the decoys and pike back 
to camp. I’m darned near frozen and we'll never 
get a shot if we stay here all day. I’ll bet Doc. 
lias the laugh on us this time.” 
“I’m with you,” I responded, very heartily. 
Once in motion we soon got the circulation re¬ 
stored, and this trip back, with thoughts of the 
meal ahead of us, was more pleasant than the 
outward trip had been. 
On reaching camp we found that Doc. had 
not only got a fine breakfast, but had also shot 
18 ducks in our absence! “Well, did you have 
a good shoot?” questioned Doc. with as much 
innocence as he could assume. “I didn’t think 
you fellows were such fools! After I got you 
away at that hour I just lay down here and 
laughed. I knew there wouldn”t be a shoot 
there. The experience will do you good, how¬ 
ever, and I’ll bet that you will eat a hearty break¬ 
fast now.” The Doc. was right in his last asser¬ 
tion, and we paid no more attention to his re¬ 
marks for the sake of the breakfast. Right 
there, believe me, Bob and I concluded that we 
would discontinue early morning excursions for 
the future. 
As a general rule we did not retire till the 
"wee sma’ hours,” for just as long as one could 
keep the others interested there was no need or 
thought of sleep. One evening I had quite an 
experience. Since we had reached the Island, 
two or three of our copper colored brethren had 
camped near us. On this particular evening we 
invited them in to share out supper. They were 
nothing loath to accept our invitation, and they 
afterward remained with us, smoking and talk¬ 
ing till after midnight. 
After they had gone we were all in bed and 
in slumberland within fifteen minutes. I sup¬ 
pose that not more than half an hour had 
elapsed when I was awakened by a clinking 
sound, and raising myself upon my elbow, I be¬ 
held one of these fellows helping himself to a 
bottle of sparkling refreshment from the grub 
box. When he saw how neatly I had caught 
him in the act, he called out; “Alex, Alex, you 
come me.” I decided to do so, and following 
him through the brush and over logs came to 
the camp of my Indian friend. My first glance 
around the interior gave me the impression that 
the visit that I had so abruptly inter¬ 
rupted was not the first one they had 
paid the camp. After being assured of their 
friendship, I returned, but before laying down 
for the balance of the morning’s nap I placed a 
shell in each barrel of my number ten. I had 
the determination to give a warm reception to 
any one who should be led to repeat the nocturn¬ 
al visit. 
