CHAPTER IX.

MALLARD TIMBER SHOOTING.

Spring overflow-Examining the gun-Aim unfailing-A forgiving
wife-Reverence-Seek the shallow water-A feeding ground-
Your excellent blind--Don't shoot through tree-tops-How to set
out decoys-The wrong call-How to call in the timber-An ill-
judged shot-Make the most of it.

CHAPTER X.

MALLARD SHOOTING AT ICE-HOLES.

Their resort-The hunter hears them-The hunter and his dog-
Careful reconnoitering-An intelligent dog-A gentle reproach-
Acquiescence--A bonanza-Blinds.

-

CHAPTER XI.

IN THE MARSH-MORNING, MIDDAY AND EVENING DUCK

66

SHOOTING.

Early impressions-Yourself-Shells-Take plenty-Poor consolation
Me-amp"-Disgusted-Number 6 shot-What powder ?—
Machine shells-Chilled shot-Clothing-Big feet-Rubber coat-
Sympathy-An early start-Coffee for two-On the water by moon-
light-Frosty morning-Meredosia bottoms-The marsh-A duck
pass-The Mississippi-The Wapsipinicon--Their feed-Among
the ducks-Too easy-Daybreak-A narrow escape-Two feet
ahead-Dogs-The best day for ducks-No cranky boat-How to
set out decoys-Tell the difference ?-A blind-A funny thing
about 8's-Use judgment-A watchful dog-Like fluttering leaves
-High climbers-Why didn't you shoot ?-Historical scenery-
Blackhawk-Mound-builders-Briarwood pipe ?-In the middle of
the day-Where to find them-Dropping in; mark the spot-In-
vestigate-How to wrap decoys-Got fooled, didn't she ?-A clean
miss-A handsome pair-Effeminate? Oh, no!-How all come at
once-Darkness in a swamp--Flames from your gun-Sunset-
Twilight-The North Star-Steamer for home--One hundred and
twelve ducks.

CHAPTER XII.

SHOVELER-SPOONBILL.

A queer duck-Peculiar bill-Why is it ?--A plebeian-Nature's pro-
vision-The section boss-Fair field and no favor-An artist.

CHAPTER XIII.

BLUE BILL--SCAUP DUCK.

How they derive their names-Their food-Little salts-In rough

water-Floating down the Mississippi--On ice--Among them with

scull boat-Decoys in bayous-Kind of blind-On the alert-

Tenacious of life-Coming to decoys-A difficult bird to hit-Suc-

cess-A double.

CHAPTER XIV.

CANVAS-BACK DUCK.

An eastern duck-On the Chesapeake-How they are captured--A

rare bird in the west-In Illinois and Iowa-Pleasant memories-

Their velocity-How they alight-Drakes-Poor fellows.-Inquis-

itive-Distinction between canvas-back and red-head-A cripple

-"Good-bye "-Where and how to decoy them-Size of shot to

use.

CHAPTER XV.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

A hardy bird-Where found-Along the willows-Jumping them—

Whistling cries-Little russet bodies-The boy hunter-A pot shot

-In over-flowed bottoms.

CHAPTER XVI,

AMERICAN WIDGEON-BALD PATE.

Habits similar to pin tails and mallards--Found in overflowed prai-

ries-More plenty in spring-Shy birds-Coaxed to decoys with

plaintive whistle-Not tenacious of life.

CHAPTER XVII.

GADWALL DUCK--GRAY DUCK.

Locally known as gray duck-Resort, inland ponds-Flight similar
to mallards-Often taken for mallard-Decoy to mallard decoys-
Found in great numbers in the south.

CHAPTER XVIII.

QUAIL SHOOTING.

Don and I-Coaxed away by a whistling quail-Description of habits
-A fond mother--Lively youngsters-A modest father-Raising
their brood-Where they roost and how-In winter-A tender-
hearted housewife--Bob White-Frightened--Withhold scent--A
quiet field-A disconsolate lover-A coquette-Reunited-" When
once the young heart of a maiden is stolen"- Cannot be domesti-
cated-Migrating--Fly against buildings-Pleasures of hunting
them-"My setter ranges"-Hold well ahead-My inspiration-
Fond recollections.

CHAPTER XIX.

DUSKY, OR BLACK DUCK.

Black mallard in the West-Description-Seldom seen in West-Size.

CHAPTER XX.

AMERICAN COOT-MUD HEN.

A harmless nuisance--Neither fit for sport nor food--A verdict with-
out a trial-Eaten sometimes--How they taste-Plenty in fall-
Voracious feeders and incessant chatterers-Skulking through the
rice stalks-Their flight-Drive them from decoys.

CHAPTER XXI.

BUFFLE-HEADED DUCK-BUTTER BALL.

Smallest of duck tribe-Seldom hunted-Swift flyers-Their food.

CHAPTER XXII.

RED-HEAD DUCK.

Distinction between red-head and canvas-back-Great feeders-What
they like to eat-In the timber-A treacherous stream--Delightful
shooting-Decoys and how to use them-Call them-Best way to
capture a cripple-Where they are found-An evening in the Mis-
souri bottoms-Between 70 and 80 in an hour-Out of shells.

CHAPTER XXIII.

SCIENCE OF SCULLING WILD FOWL.

Trying to catch the motion-Very discouraging-"Swish-splash "-

How to catch the motion-Safety of scull-boat-Advantage of

sculling-Among the trees with common boat-With scull-boat-

After pin-tails and widgeon-Sculling a mallard drake-Going

down the marsh-Descriptive marsh scenery-An inquisitive pin-

tail-Cost of inquisitiveness-How to become a graduate in wild

fowl shooting.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PIN-TAIL-SPRIG-TAIL.

A handsome bird-On some grassy knoll-Wild and restless-Com-
parison between male and female--More plenty in spring-Out in
the overflowed fields-How tantalizing!-Just out of range-A
desperate hunter-At last he gets one down-Such luck!--Lost and
found-Decoy at times nicely-Use mallard decoys-Look sharp!
gh jumpers-Whistle their call often-How they descend verti
ally-Travellers.

CHAPTER XXV.

TWO SPORTS; OR, OUT FOR A LARK.

An American and a German--Mr. Johnson and Mr. Dietrich-A
wise young man-His innocent chum-They will a hunting go-
Preparations and a start-Grub vergessen-Once again they start-
Jim's dog-Was it a fire ?-Down at the "Docia"-A red duck
boat-Wild ducks--Jim's idea of decoys-Hans, is tired-They
criticise one another's hats-Very complimentary-A polite dog--
Hard luck-The dog eats a duck-Hans private opinion publicly
expressed-Both fire at a duck-Good shot-Jim catches sport at
the base-Who killed the duck? An excited German--America vs.
Germany-Gooseberry rules-The star-spangled banner comes
down-Peaceful Deutchland-A duck retriever-"A sweet voice
yoost like honey"-Corporal punishment--Lunch a la Vaterlandt
-Mr. Dietrich Sr., and the waiter-The farmer's boy-Eight mal-
lards-A guest-Fifty cents a piece?-Casting bread on the water
-A story for home circulation-A trap shoot that never comes off.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A MORNING WITH NATURE, AND AN AFTERNOON WITH DUCKS.
Pleasant recollections-In dreamland-Floating ice-A frosty morn-
ing--A cloudless sky-Brilliant effects of the morning sun-A grand
sight-A midday feeding spot-Alive with mallards picnicking-A
deluge of living feathers--Mr. Drake's arrival-Driven out-In our
blind-Coaxing them to decoys-All kinds of shots; an incomer-
A high side shot-A difficult shot-My partner-Excitable? Oh,
no!-Delight in shooting cripples-Suicide of Mrs. Duck--An ac-
cident-Cold fingers-Forty-four mallards-Down the Mississippi
-How we found the ducks-Mark their flight-An assertion-The
fulfillment-How to tell a duck's age-How a man scented ducks
-An explanation-Hunting with judgment-Don't be selfish, but
enjoy Nature-Things wortli remembering.

CHAPTER XXVII.

WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.

Fast disappearing-Where found-Manner of coming to decoys-
Decoy poorly-Early in the morning-In the swamps-In the stub-
ble fields.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE SNOW GOOSE.

Found in Nebraska and Dakota-Associate with other geese-Habits
-Conspicuous in sunlight-Like banks of snow-Flight-Shriek-
ing, discordant cries-Scandal-mongers--How to get a shot.

CHAPTER XXIX.

BRANT, OR BRENT GOOSE.

Are they Hutchin's Geese ?-Nomenclature of the goose family-Old
honkers-Hunted same as Canada Geese.

CHAPTER XXX.

TRUMPETER SWAN.

Strangers in the West-Largest of wild fowl-Spotless white-Syno-
nyms of grace-Known for ages-Antony and Cleopatra-On the
Mississippi-Delighted hunter-Two birds-Habits-How to ap-
proach them-Their flight-Their cries.

CHAPTER XXXI.

CANADA GOOSE SHOOTING.

Their ancestry-Known in England centuries ago-In ancient Rome
-Where they breed-Migrate in spring--Still go northward to
Arctic Sea-Easily domesticated-Love home of adoption-Are long
lived-At 80 years of age mischievous-An old gander-What he
may have seen-How they are shot on the Mississippi and Missouri
Rivers-Profile decoys-How they are made--Dress warm-How
to load for geese-Artificial goose-calls--deceptive in speed-In the
Mississippi among floating ice-How to scull them there-How
they act on approach of scull-boat-Blinds on sand-bars-On a bar
in the Missouri river-By moon-light-In Nebraska, on the Platte
River-Regularity of going and returning to feeding grounds-
Where they feed-Shooting from pits in stubble-fields-A cold
blustering morning-Tenacity of life-The prairies-An army of
Geese-Their encampment-A thousand gray bodies-A narrow
escape-Our blind a success-Calling geese to decoys-How they
come from vast heights-Two pair-Shake"-Our visitor-He
stut-stut-stutters-But knows all about the geese-4° below zero-A
fool goose-Words of truth derived from experience.

CHAPTER XXXII.

BOATS.

Hunter should own one-Advantages in having a boat-Checkmated
without one-Mallards just across the stream-Oh, for a boat or a
raft!-The great desideratum-Safety-Á hunting boat and not a
skiff-For general use-Caught in the swift flood--A maëlstrom,
but we laugh at danger--The boat as a companion-Short of length
-How it looks-Sits lows, but not a drop comes in-Surprised na-
tives-Freedom of the village--Skill required to build a boat--What
one costs-Good after 20 years use--
--Watch the wagon stakes-Are
you a farmer ?-Different kinds of boats-How to make a boat.