The herald., 1897-10-24
SUSPICIOUS

game one can kill in day, or on trip
or in a season. Then we shall again
see plenty of game. AS it is, the clubs
that now protect the game, feed it and
restrict the shooting in various ways,
even among their own members, are TIL
best friends we have. Outside Of the
club grounds there is now far better
duck shooting than there would be with
out their protection.
Some of the lagunas of this country
used to present in winter the farest
sights to be seen in any land. Nowhere
is there such a picture Of perfect peace
and beauty as a pond full of wild ducks
on warm, sunny day in midwinter,
with no gun in miles to disturb them.
Where the snow on the huge mountains
of the background was reflected in the
mooth water on which the warm sur
was sleeping the white of the canvas
back shone even more brightly; and Of
ten his red head and neck rested upon
his back in repose that he had good
reason to believe would be unbroken by
the step of man. Beside him floated in
as quiet dignity his royal cousin, the
red head, and the mallard's FURNISHED
green shone across the still surface on
which he sat as if he had. dissolved part
nership with care. Still less did the
sprigatil seem to care about the price of
silver as he dropped his long, trim neck
with laziness and drifted here and thers
with what little breeze there was The
world never saw a more perfect bit of
contentment than the hocks of widgeon
doing in the sun on the grassy bank
where the violets were blooming and the
poppy beginning to nod above them
while the spoonbill muddling in the shall
lows of the quiet water secs.ed to care
as little about the price of wheat in Chi
cago.
The CALDWELL, too, seemed to know that
he was almost as safe as in the Arctic
waters where he was reared, and the
little blue-winged teal rode around
among his larger brethren as softly as
circling snowhakes. And along the
edges of the little coves and bays was
always the most delicate and lovely of
waterfowl-the little cinnamon teal His
coat of cinnamon brown and grayish
wings banded with sky blue shone ev-
erywhere in the bright sun as in compa-
MES of dozen or two he drifted here
ard there or sat with dreamy air in the
rich light that slept upon some little
bay.
He who has never tried moonlight
shooting on the wild duck has something
in store. You may think you know all
about holding far enough ahead and
stopping a duck coming toward you at
the rate of an express train, but until
you try to do this It night you will know
little about it. There are places where
the ducks still fly we'll at night from the
water to their feeding grounds. There
used to be many more, and some Of the
best shooting in the land was at night
on such lines of flight Everything seems
new and strange when you first take
your position ON such place. You ma
turally look for ducks in the air above
and do not notice bunch Of dark DOTS
rise out of the horizon and bear like a
charge of grape shot directly toward
your head Suddenly you hear the hiss
of wings, catch a glimpse Of so many
dim streaks vanishing into the night be-
yond, and before you can realize that
you have gun and came here to use, it
the night has closed upon them.
Then you watch lower and soon short
line of dots swings into view; you move
your gun around into position and feel
sure that you will do it now. But the
line widens out with astonishing rapid
ity and by the time the gun is a your
shoulder the line has radiated like the
leaves of a fan and covers half the ho-
rizon on the sides. You find that even in
the night the ducks can see you, that
you cannot see them until they are much
closer than you think, that from the
time the dark spots first show above the
horizon until they are passing you at
sixty miles an hour Is but moment
that allows you little time to get the
gun into position. When conditions are
right they come like the wind and you
have little time to spend in eddies OF