Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-03-14

his point at one time, being unable to
retrieve them, the birds were coming
so fast, and his dog not YET at the is.
land. After smoking, drinking aud
talking until late in the night, we made
up our hunks, and retired with the un-
Outstanding that We were to have an
early start in the morning.
/ imagined I had not slept five min
utes when found myself on the floor.
and Jack A. telling me if I desired to
go shooting / had better get my
clothes on. / gave him credit for one
on account, mentally promising to pay
him with interest; hastily dressed in
shooting toggery; took a good wash In
tin basin at the well,-one of the in
situations of the club, dug with hard
labor and scientific engineering, and
sat down to hot coffee, bread, and a
slice of cold duck. As soon as this
was dispatched we made for the boats,
hauled up OIL a fine beach ON the north
end of the island. Having been as
signed one which padded, I
put my guns and fxings in,
showing from shore just as the glorious
autumn day was breaking. l was
pointed good cover on a small island a
fourth of a mile north of the club.
house. Jack A. went on point OPP
posite me, and b. still farther beyond
him, on the same bog. Landing on
the opposite side from my blind, l
pulled my boat into the rushes, and
crossed over in sight of Jack who was
already in cover. The noise of my
coming started a myriad of mallard
from feeding. Swinging away beyond
reach of my gun, they swept rouL 4
over the boat of B., just getting into
cover, giving him a good shot, saw
one double up long before the sonnd
of his gun reached me, and plasb in
the water which not lug but falling
mallsrd can make, told that his right
hand had not forgotten how to hold his
gun. had not long to wait after getting
into blind for chance to try my skill /;
eveTyw ere the alarmed birds, disturb
ed for the first time that season, were
moving about singly, in pairs and
focks Waiting in eager expectation
for clatter at them, l thought had
never seen a more promising place In
my life for water fowl. While watching
the fight of birds and the varying col
ors in the east, the roar of Is. s gun
reminded me of what / was there for,
and glancing towards him saw a pair
of mallard coming in direct line for
my cover. Shaking myself down to
get everything In proper place, i
watched tue game moving in line di-
rectly abreast of my cover. AS they
passed me not over thirty yards distant,
/ arose and let go ut them. They both
dropped, You expect, dear reader; not
much they laughed at me, gave a
quack, and swung over towards Jack
A, who pegged one of them and
brought pillow of feathers out of the
other.
lyon shoot we'll, don't you ?" he
yelled over to me. "You are Just the
man we want here TO drive up duck for
as"
MAKE duck" I answered; and a
mallard crossing my eye IN a direct line
with Jack. I pitched my eye on him,
knocked him over, and sent the spray
over Jacks blind, TO say nothing of
the shot, which he swears to this day
won't into his clothes.
Chow DO you like that? you near
GuoS4 DGllOhEu ~
"rhere is some style in that shooting"
you shot at me on purpose, You
cussed thief. and killed the duck acci-
You never killed a healthy
bird in the memory of man." was the
ans er / received-again warned by
b., that active sentinel, always on duty,
and who never loses a chance If posi-
BILE.
stood to my post, and as line of
wood-duck whizzed by ripped into
them, knocking over three quite dead
and wounding a couple more. Re
loading, / fired again at another drove,
with but poor success; and, in fact,
kept on going at everything within
sight, determined to waste as much
powder as any one, and try and bring
back some of the practice of days past,
/ did nor, like the generality of writer's,
kill everything within fifty yards
JCih Day pen, but missed handsomely
with my gun about four shots out OF
five. When the call came for breakfast
l was astonished-in fact, rejoiced--tO
be able to bag seven mallard and wood
duck; and now, while the readers are
Eliminating over the fact of sporting
writer who nearly always misses, / will
go in with Jack A. and b. to breakfast,
aud tell you in my next what happened
thereafter. --MIKE.- Wilkes Spirit Of
the Times