The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-09-23
DUCK HUNTING.


Church Lake has always been q
famous place for shooting. The
haunt OF ducks, snipe and geese as
they pass up or down the Jordan in
search of fresh feeding grounds. Many
are the times that the usual quiet Of
the fields has been disturbed by Ihole
who seek this place to waste amuni-
ton and sleep.
True, it ia exciting to lie on the
grassy shores or liz the rushes and
absorb the dew drops as they nestle
in each leaf. awaiting the magical
warmth of the sun to Vaporize them.
To hopefully listen for the whir which
tells Of the approach OF the coveted
game. To cuss the mud hens as they
noiselessly approach your hiding
place and az they appear to your
view, almost Letray you into taking
shot. To sit and enjoy pine, liz
ten to your friend on the opposite
shore firing away, hear the splash or
thud which sWakens visions of roast
duck and then relapse into a quiet
mood and wonder if the horse has
slipped his halter and is quietly lop-
ing up the road to the city. Some OF
the fellows 60 down and in Two or
three hours return with "a few" as
they call dozen. Then some amateur
goes to Evans & Spencer, hires a
gun, buys some shells, and in COM
pany With friend, starts for the
lake.
To hear them talk, why it makes
the horse tired to think of the load
be must return with. A-and B.,
the heroes of the last shooting affair
at the lake, are young men we'll
known up town: the former be-
ing a skilled shoer of horses, the lat
ter a manipulation OF calf skin, under
Colonel Rowe.
On Thursday the Goth inst, these
Jolly hunters started for Church Lake,
bent upon having a nights shooting.
The grey mare stepped out briskly
down the road and in an hour the
party had arrived on the ground.
After unhitching and tying the step
per to the fence, they cautiously ap
preached the most likely portion of
the lake aud betook themselves to
thinking of the glorious time they
would have. The moon played hide
and seek with the stars behind the
clouds for while, and then broke
forth, shedding her mellow light
upon the water and the meadow,
and each blade OF grass seemed fresh
and green. Not 90 with the game
which they sought. They few high
and were not 30 frequent as they
| wished.
The Dude OF the swsmps-the
mad .hen-was discussed at last, and
the conclusion arrived at was ss q
Dude, the mud-hen ia q complete
success, being entirely useless.
Thus an hour or more was spent and
then their thcughtR turned to the
beautiful gray, which they had Sc
curely tied to q fence post. A
raised up and looked in the direction
of the buggy, but no gray could he
see. The mare is loose" to B..
, They walked out some distance but
could not see anything vi the brute.
They walked on. and finally saw a
white object testing the fence for the
lowest portion. As the boys sp-
preached, the lowest portion was
found, and over she went at bound.
The hunters broke into run and
soon had the equine corrslled in the
corner OF the paddock. Horses, as a
: rule. go blind when they get loose.
for they will not approach nor be ap-
prosrhed by those whom they most
, willingly obey. This one was no ex-
ception to the rule, and over the
fence she went. The duck shooters,
now headed, went tearing after
her. As the first appearance OF dawn
b came down over the valley, two-bare-
: headed gentlemen might have been
seen alternately chaeing and coaxin g
! with outstretched hands. the gray
mare, which cantered up the lane
and az she turned into the State road
switched her tail and seemed to say
"FRre ye we'll, Brother Watkins, ali. }
L was farewell, for the horse came NJ
to Jackson's gate and seemed to smile
when As father let her into the
yard. The hunters walked up, arriv
ing in town about 10 O'Clock. B.
had the head Of one snipe dangling
from his belt, the cooking part haV'
ing been lost in the mad chase after
the mare. This was all they had to
show for their nights shooting.
GIN.