The San Francisco call., 1896-10-23
SUPERVISOR KING
AND HIS DUCKS
How a Member of the
Board Bagged Wild
Game.
With His Dog Cowcatcher Joseph
Made a Great Killing Near
Suisun.
MUDHENs OR BLACK JACKS.
On the Home Voyage King Went
Overheard AMI Escaped by the
Hair of His Head.

''Well, you can talk 10 me as much as
you like about duck shooting but can
bless my stars that the best man of the
solid nipe is still in the land OF the living"
remarked Supervisor Joe King to a bevy
of friends who met him at the foot of Mar
ket street on his return from Suisun.
King always cherished the idea that he
was born to be a politician aud "a sports
man, and q few days ago when business
was shade off color he induced Harry
Hart and few OF his friends to journey
with him to Suisun on wild duck shoot
ing expedition.
Bright and early on the morning Of the
day of the duck hunt King and Hart were
escorted to the Suisun landing, where a
guide pilo.ed them safely into a boat.
Anticipating that the Supervisor might
possibly banker for something TO drink
during the day nice little keg OF ''butler-
milk and a loaf OF French bread was
snuely placed away in corner of the
craft where the sportsmen could easily
place hands ON them after the mornings
shoot was over.
According to Mr.. Hart's version of the
! hunt smooth sailing resulted unit. Spoon
bill Slough was reached, then the birds
commenced to fly in all directions. Kings
QOR COMCdlCHcf Was uCltuR very
and it took the combined efforts of the
! TWO hunters to keep the thoroughbred on
deck.
"Why. never saw such dog in my
life" said Hart; ''every time he saw a
wad of grass floating down the slough he
wanted to go after it. and Joe got into
such a rage that he had to keep constantly
slipping the buttermilk to keep his throat
cooi.
I'VE finally had to chain poor old Cow
catcher 10 the bottom of the boat, as he
was soaring ali the birds away, and then
the sport commenced in earnest Joe
was shooting to the right and was drop
ping birds on my left as fast as could
| load the gun.
We'll after about one hours shooting
on tne slough we ran the boat up on low
bank anu commenced TO count our game.
| vas ignorant of the variety of duck we
had bagged, but Joe said they were black
Jacks, and Of very fine quality. We had
something like fifty-four birds, and l was
calculating upon the sposal of the game
on our return to this City wnen amarket-
hunter who was passing in skiff hailed
me for match. We invited him to take
a drink of 'butternilk,' which he did with
great relish. and then a big, brawny
smile lit up his bucolic features.
"'You must have had great shooting this
morningP he stammered, as his eyes
feasted on the big bunch OF black Jacks.
| \ on yer life We had red hot time
| Of it, retorted Joe, as he pointed in the
| direction of the big stack of game.
"'What kind of ducks do you call them?'
| asked the hun ter in rather dubious way.
"'Them's black Jacks" said joe and
| they are the finest duck that flies.'
THE hunter could not hold in the laugh
any longer, and as he turned to leave us
| he whispered into my ear that we had
wasted our ammunition on mudhens ard
| that no one but Chinaman would think
of eating them.
halter, and he swore vengeance on every
duck and hen in the three adjoining
/ counties.
"It was getting late and we started for
! Suisun after getting away with the but
termilk and the loaf of French bread.
Joe was feeling fine. and as the tide
| favored us the boat was literally tiying
over the surface of lhe water when old
| 'Cowcatcher' jumped overheard after a
mudhen he had 'spied floating down the
| slough.
| king made grab for the retriever and
| in doing so he upset the craft. But we went
head first, guns and baggage. When l
came up to the surface grabbed the end
of the boat, but could not see poor old
ice anywhere. He was weighted down
with rubber boots and fifty rounds of am
munition, and the thought then flashed
through my mind that good city father
would be missing from the next meeting
of the board. l managed by padding to
reach the shore, but not a thing that
looked anything like a good Supervisor
could see.
Soaking wet I sorrowfully tremped
along the bank until l came opposite the
| spot where the boat capsized, and to my
great surprise and Joy / saw poor Joe.s
| curly head sticking out between a bunch
| of bulrushes. He was gaspng hard for
air, and it was with great difficulty
managed 10 reach him. Taxing a firm
| hold of his BRYAN locks I finally landed
| him on terra firma.
| Il rolled him over repeatedly until he
commenced to show strorg signs of life,
and don't you know that the first words
he muttered were 'Buttermilk /! Butter
milk 7 / then knew tina; he was all right,
and in the course of an hour or so we
started for home, sadder but wiser hunt
ers. lost my gun, but, strange to say,
King held on TO his shooting iron, and in
stead OF swimming to the bank he actually
walked on the bottom of the slough until
he struck the tules. by the assistance o.
which he managed to pull mis- head above
water. l would not advise you to ask
King how duck-shooting is now up about
| Suisun."