Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-01-24
MUD HENS HIS PREY.
He Thought Them Ducks and BIaxed
Away at Great Rate.


Away mt a Great Rate.
Il was somewhere along I'm the teens
when the tragedy took place. a long
legged, gander shanked. country gawk.
1 was at that time the possessor OF a
new ten gauge breechloader and an in
satiable appetite for killing game and
especially wild fowl-verily, a pitiless
combination. l wish to record il here
that am not the least bit proud OF nv
share in the transaction but 1t happen
ed a good many years ago. so | will
risk telling II.
Il had scent the day in the woods
chopping and was returning home
shortly after sundown, pretty we'll fag-
ged out and hungry enough to eat q
sawdust ham. Between the woods and
house lay mile wide strip of low bot
tom land. dotted with rice ponds and
small lakes. the favorite loafing place
for all the ducks and mud hens in the
country Ii was late In the fall. The
ponds were covered with an icy
blanket. the wild fowl had migrated,
leaving the bottom deserted OF bird
life. Nevertheless. as l crossed the
bottom, from force OF habit. I suppose
ducks.
I'm passing the foot OF long. mar
row lake my vigilance was rewarded.
A quarter OF mile up the lake | be-
held. to my amazement. a big air hole
black with ducks. They were not there
when | passed in the morning. and
was at loss to account for their sud
den appearance, but as / gazed wonder
was replaced 10y wild frenzy of ex-
ultatiOn. / would get my gun and
murder the whole mass or as many as
possible before they flew and then
brag TO the boys OF the number Of
ducks had killed al one shot. Noble
thought. Fatigue was forgotten. and
/ barely touched ground as | flew over
the bottoms.
The purple shades Of evening were
slowly dimming all objects as a long
legged specter sneaked crouchinC along
the rush fringed bank Of the lake up 10
the air hole where the unsuspectinC
ducks were sporting. There was a
fash. roar. and a swath was NOW
ed through the huddlcd fowls | had
counted on their springing into the air
at one jump. when I would tunnel an
4
astonishment. not bird OF them offer
ed to hy-just sloshed around the air
hole a little and settled down. wonder
ing where the earthquake came from.
Bully They're dazed with the cold
Maybe l can kill them all exulted.
Another swath was cut. leaving an
other blanket OF dead birds on the wa
ter. Instead OF flying the survivors ONLY
huddled together the closer. Funniest
ducks i ever shot at. Must be a hole
full OF cripples. II IL is. l may as we'll
Kill them and get them out of thcir
misery You see. was getting
ashamed OF myself and was apoIogiz-
Ing. Another charge went tearing
across the water.
That time something come, Nv
battery had been planted at such ef-
fective range that nothing could stand
the fire and live. There was a general
exodus from that air hole hut I'm a
sinner II the whole outfit. instead Of
flying. didn't crawl out on the ice and
run in all directions. Then for the first
time / smelled a rodent In slang Ian
guage. l 'Wmbled.' had been pour
Ing charge after charge into a belated
SNoA Al VA WI AAAlt>> uluQ mems.
II was disguSted. My feelings we're
hurt, my pride was wounded. took one
look al the objects of my unholy am
bition and. shouldering my gun. sneak
ed OF home SoliloQuizlng:
My son. you are brilliant and
successful duck hunter What YOU
know about the characteristics Of
ducks and mud hens would male an
exceedingly valuable book for crema-
tory purposes. Had YOU possessed the
brains Of tumblebug YOU would have
seen at glance the situation. Evi-
IDENTITY the distance from the outside of
your Uranium TO the gray matter With
IN or there is any is Il Sabbath days
Journey
The next morning l walked around
by the air hole. Thirty-nve dead mud
hens lay frozen in the ice The bal
ance had migrated AT night" Mime
apoliS Journal