Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-06-26
VANITY OF THE DRAKE.
Entertaining Exhibition of mascu
line weakness Given by
Solitary MaIlard.


ty, Tex, known commonly as Goose
Bill" killed a good many ducks ami
geese last winter. He hunts on three
days of the week in q great game
country, and the aggregate slaughter
inflicted by him is tremendous, says
n local informant of the New York
Sun.
The geese and ducks he kills his
memory merges into one nearly in
distinguishable mass. To him one
day is pretty much-lik another, and
he has to refer to his notebook,
wherein he sets down his totals, if
he wishes to remember any special
incident clearly. One thing happened
to him, however, that stands out, and
he is fond Of telling about it.
He had made good befora.bre1k-
fast kill, beginning to shoot as soon
as it was light enough to see. Altar
feeding himself and smoking pipe,
he shouldered his gun, stuffed some
luncheon into his pocket, and, ac-
companied by his old iver-colored re-
triever, started for an inspection of
the various SIENNA ponds.
He did not expect to kill much, but
he wanted to find where the ducks
were doing most of their feeding. He
walked and walked. making an occa-
sional shot, and hanging the bird to
his game strap, and when ~ o'clock
came he was tired and hungry.
Five miles from camp he found
jewel of a pond hidden between the
rolls of the prairie. 1t was not more
than three acres in extent, deep and
clear. Its surface, unrufiled by
breeze, was like a great steel mirror
in q frame of brown. At one end
grew three large live oaks in clump
standing back ten feet from the wa
ter'S edge and between them and the
water was a thin growth Of SIENNA
weeds three feet high.
Saunders sat with his back against
one of these trees, spread his lunch
con and ate it, fed the dog lying at
his feet, then started the pipe going,
closed his eyes, and was happy. The
sky was brilliantly clear, and there
was not enough wind to stir leaf of
the live oaks.
A sudden splash caused him to look
out over the pond. A hundred yards
away a single mallard drake had
pitched.
The sunlight streamed on the duck,
and his green head CLEANED like an
emerald. He was in perfect condition,
and his feathers shone. He admired
himself greatly, gazing earnestly at
his reflection in the CLASSY water,
preening his wings and back, arching
his neck to inspect his beautiful
breastplate, and turning his head to
see that the little jetty curl at the
base of his tail was just right.
Then he dived, coming up two
yards away, swan rapidly in circles,
and stood upon his tail, revolving rap
idly with beating wings. He did not
utter call, being perfectly salts
fed with himself and desiring no
company.
For Is minutes he gave an exhibit
ton of male vanity that made Saun-
ders ashamed of his sex. He left
nothing undOne to show off himself
to himself.
The dog was asleep, and the man
remained motionless. The evolutions
of the drake brought him nearer and
nearer to the clump of live oaks.
Saunders could have killed him at any
time after he came within range, but
had no desire to do murder; he
wanted to see the play played out.
Finally the mallard came to the
very edge of the water and sat for a
moment not four yards away, uncon-
scious of an enemy, still tickled with
his beauty. Saunders sprang to his
feet, towering over him, and yelled:
"Git!"
The drake was semi-paralyzed. He
wheeled and started away in a pitt
full violent effort at flight. His wing
tips beat the surface; his legs trailed
on the water for 80 yards. Finally
he scared and headed southwark. AS
long as he was in sight his neck was
stretched as far as it would go, and |
he was making a bee line for open
sea.