The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-16
THE GUN.
Dack-Shooting Should Be Good To-
Day-An AEbino Snipe.
"THE OH nuCK


THE OLD DUCK DECoYS"
was visiting the old home,
"here lyed when was young,
anu rum maEed through the attic
where the bags of herbs were hung,
Ana spied in far corner,
Dedicated to 5 BOYS
Stored away for safe keeping
LOT OF duck decoys
AS dragged them into daylight
Their CLASSY eyeballs stood
faf out from circled sockets,
hollowed IN the soft pine WOOD,
AND the moths had used the feathers
AS nest OF soft home joys.
quite destroying all the beauty
VI our poor old duck decoys.
When we made them how we Whitfield
How we whistled as worked,
Not sorrow, not a headache,
- In the whole wide world there lurked;
now we stuffed the mallard duck heauS-
ma ! or brains soft cotton look
Nhlie the artificial glass eyes
Gave them quite ducky LOOK
And then when they were finished
How we softly stole away,
And SET those fowl a-ioating
ON The waters of the bay
Like flock of passing wild ducks,
mat had settled without noise.
just Tor little fishing,
Ihose queer old duck decoys.
Then. when the night shades lifted
Ana the sun stole up Nigh
When the islands peeped out through the mists,
Like convent maidens, shy,
Then we padded slowly, softly,
without breath OF noise
hl2ht In among the mallard ducks,
Lured down by our decoys.
Our old shotguns we rested
ON the rowboatS steady side,
And waited for moment.
AS we hoated the tide
WITH sportSman's keenesI glances,
And with nerves that nanght destroys,
we Dlazed and banged away with glee
tine ducks among decoys.
Old time has pilfered many year
And sprinkled heads with gray,
Since We fellows went a-gunn1ng
On the waters of the bay;
But he cannot steal the memories
That cling 10 all us boys,
When we used our homemade maards-
1hose funny old deeoys.
by "BILL NYE" DIErz
Sportsmen who have made proper prepara-
tions for duck shooting on the marshes shout d
make up FOR lost ground to-day, as latest intel.
llgence from the country Is TO the effect that
the ponds and puddes which formed during
the storm nave become dry, aud as a conse-
quence the ducks, which were so plentiful a
week ago, have returned 10 the bay and tule
lands rdering the Sacramento and San Joa-
qun rivers.
Those who burn powder to-day on the Sono-
ma marshes should meet with gratifying sue
cess, as a letter from Petaluma to The CALL
states that sprig and widgeon are becoming
very plentiful, and that with a continuation OF
tine weather Understanding should be excellent
to-day.
Favorable reports have also been received
from AlVlSO, which place was visited yester-
day BY large number of sportsmen.
! be canyaSback have come to stay for the
rest OF the season, and according TO a gentle
man who returned Yesterday from Suisun those
royal birds are very plentiful, aud have been
ahording great sport TO hunters during the past
week.
Ii is too bad, indeed, that some hunters are
a nj n f..rn On
that they could handle cannon with the same
ease and grace that the sportsman OF the pres
ent day handl s ten-gaug shotgun. A can
non would Ue just the kind of shoOtine-iron
that would answer the purpose of some hunters
who ShOotS at birds from 800 TO 400 ward
high, as their chances OF dropping an occas iona al
bird would then be considered good
IL Is strange mat the fool hunter Will never