Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-28

The Close Of the Shooting Seas0n-stoFies
Told around the Fire.

The Close Of the Shooting season-stories
Told around the Fire.
Correspondents Of The Evening Star.
WHIsrLEwINa Cow, March %, 1891.
ONLY THREE MORE DAYS REMAIN OF
Othe ducking season Of 1890'91. I am loath
to put away my gun, for even now - I look out
the window Of the cabin the fats are literally
covered with ducks. It seems pity that 80
much sport as We have had during the last two
weeks should be brought to . close. All the
winter ducks have been scarce, but during the
last fortnight there has been sport enough
down here to suit any one. Never in my recol-
lection, and have gunned here for six years,
have seen ducks so plentiful They are not
trash ducks, either. Red heads predominant
and there Is . generous prinkling Of canvas
backs hereabouts. All Of our shooting lately
has been from sink boxes and point blinds.
The latter we find the better at this season Of
the year, for the ducks are feeding close in.
This 10 . bad sign. It shows that they are look
ing for fish and when Q duck eats fish for break
fast, dinner and supper he gets . fish flavor
himself which is not very agreeable. However,
the season for fish has been quite severe thus
far and it is not likely the ducks will get 'ishy"
before the season closes. Last night we gave .
big dinner and had three or four old pot
hunters with US. All Of them were as hungry
as the proverbial hunter and by the time they
had finished eating the larder was in depleted
condition. We all drew our chairs up about
the fire and after the pipes had been freshly
loaded the story telling began. Old Bill Foster
was the first to tell a story. He laid down his
announced between several expectorations,
which threatened to put the fire out, that he
was a goin to tell story bout duck an Q
snake.
BILL FOSTERS STORY.
He said: 'Tt happened back thar in the 70's.
was summat Of boozer them days, an when
I seed the sight as I'm goin' to tell yer bout
gosh durn my gallowses eff didn't think had
UNI. was cuttin wood in a swamp all by
myself one mornin' when, sudden like. I
thought l heerd mallard quack. but didn't
pay no attention to it, thinkin' perhaps was
dreamin'. Putty soon 1 heerd it agin. Now
the swamp warn't fur from the river. and,
thinks /, maybe that's duck, and just then he
quacked agin-jest like tame duck quacks
direction Of the noise. The quacking was
yoin' on terrible, and all Of a sudden like it
hushed. l pushed on, howsomever, and
thar in a little clearin', jest in front of me.
seed the duck. He looked like he had his
head in tree stump, and, thinks I, chip
EN- both. I grabbed the duck by the leg, when
durn my picter eff didn't see the hole whar
the ducks head was move, a pair of shinin'
black eyes seemed to come out OF the hole and
glare at me. l drapped the duck and run like
the devil. kinder eased up, howsomever, and
began to think that l had EN-. But no, my
head was clar as that drinkin' water. So
made up my mind to go back and see what it
war. Takin' rail moved back. When got
up to the log found it had moved and was q
movin' right along. All Of a sudden discov-
cred it was the most powerful black swamp
snake that ever seed. Icrept up behind him.
He had the mallard all but swallowed. gave
him crack over the head and his jaws few
open like muskrat hole. Out come the mall
ard, and before could say Jack Robinson he
was up an gone. The snake he drew hisself up
N a coil and moved out. never went back
IN them woods agin.''
A SNAKE AND TURTLE STORY.
give got tale as nigh. interest you fellers,
.alking bout snakes" said Howard. last
summer down here killed black snake thir-
teen feet long on the river shore. He was ter
rible fat, and after he was dead noticed there
was something movin' inside Of him. Pretty
loon out crawled little tarrapin from between
his jaws. Four more followed and then cut
him open. What do you think was inside Of
him? Two more turtles and eight turtle eggs.
The black rascal had robbed a turtles nest and
blamed my buttons If they hadn't Matched in
side of him." That was the last story. at was
too severe" as one Of the hunters remarked as
be left the cabin. G.