The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-10

/ ~ tne IOFIOatlOn OI iSttoIb WIFI Ppbs
The gun goes to the shoulder pointed
correctly and the forennger crooks
at the right instant as q matter OF habit.
and not al a matter Of thought. This re-
quires years Of steady intelligent practice
and II costs more money h TO learn TO
| play a game OF billiards like Slosson's.
unless a man happens TO be born a shot.
which happens once In 700. 900 times.
The perils OF the QUICKER have been much
decreased by the partial adjustment OF the
sink box. This murderous device Is still
used, however. In defiance Of law when
the market potters believe that they will
not be caught They are not caught often
On the larger lakes the man who enters a
| sink box early in December not only risks
arrest, a fine and possible imprisonment
| but he also gravely risks his life. In order
to be Of any service the box must DO sunk
not less than a mile from the land, because
ducks. often shot at. seek the very centre
@. the lakes, where they do no feeding.
but are reasonably safe from any one
except the box man. :
The tank, which is made generally OF
water-tight planking, Is = feet long by 3
feet wide and 3 feet deep. IL il sunk by
being filed with water until it's upper edge
Is not more than six inches o the sur
face. 1t Is then tied TO immovable stakes,
which stick out a foot, and is bailed out.
BUSHES are fastened along liz edges with
much skill and attention to detail and at
a distance Of fifty yards II Is an exact imita-
ton Of a clump OF water plants. Into this
contrivancc the QUICKER gets. with his gun
and shells.
He lies in a half -recumbent position,
his knees crooked and his head resting on
the planking. SO disposed. a man can get
colder In fifteen minutes than In any other
possible posture in an hour.
His mariner, who has brought him in a
small boat, pulls for the shore and leaves
| him for the day. II Is the intention to re-
turn about dark, take him on board pick
up the decoys INC dead ducks.
The decoys, generally mallards OF red
heads, safely anchored, are scattered all
| about him, riding CALAMITY with their
heads TO the wind For the ensuing hours
his business will be to lie still. to shoot
straight, and to come "a near to death
from freezing as is possible and yet live.
His peril comes from the fact that north
western weather Ia proverbially uncertain.
II the wind rises. he will experience much
| additional discomfort. II u blows harder
the waves win be piling over him, ICY cold,
without cessation. The low freeboard OF
the box is practically no protection at all.
II. as il not unlikely. a fun gale begins,
his position will becoms n OF extreme
! risk. The box in which he sits Is anchored
strongly enough. There IL no danger that
il will sink, for it IL tied firmly 10 the poles,
which nave been planted 80 as TO stand
any shock administered by the lake waves.
But in a half hour the ice will be on his
| clothing an inch thick and it will grow
thicker for every minute that he spends In
his exposed place. He could not suffer
more intensely IL within the Arctic Circle.
| The chances will be that his companion
cannot put on to his rescue In a boat. which
would swamp as soon az II got clear OF the
shore PUSHES.
Swimming a mile to firm land through
hat sort Of water is, OF course, an i'm
possibility II becomes simply a question
Of his ability to endure until the storm
dies down Under these fearfully inimioal
! conditions some market hunters have
shown a vitality truly remarkable.
They nave remained In their boats through
the better part OF a day and all OF the FOL
lowing night. bufeted by the pillows. a
solid pillar OF ice from head 10 foot, com
pelled 10 remain almost motionless. able
only 10 jerk their legs and s~pasmodically
hammer themselves with their arms, pow
erless 20 move a finger when lifted from
their tanks and yet they have come around
all right within two hours after being
stripped. rolled In heated blankets and dosed
with brandy.
For one such exhibition Of endurance.
however. there have been twenty instances
Of perma nent dissblement, wreckass OF
health OF death. More than once, when
the rescue boat approached In the morn
ing. it, single occupant has found a quiet
ngid figure sitting in the blind, lite ice-cov-
er.sd arms clssped tightly across its breast
in a last effort 20 hug In a little warmth
and its lce-masked face staring out across
the tumbIing waters. dashed by the winds,
stung by the spin drift. gradually cofined
In crystals, what the man suffered In ths
Ions houIs 40 oihsr man sill ever know
Whisksy Is always left With the occupant
of the blind hut Ia such a temperature
and such a ~ind a full kss - II would no,
do any good There IL a coid IN which
~hisk.y. like all other forms 81 alcohol,
lo-ss IT, stimulating power and this oobd
can - felt any ruarulg wintsr's night N
fhe centre - a Wisconsin lake