The sun., 1902-03-09
MIGHTY KILLING or Ducks.
Forty-seven at One Shot the Record OF
d. &. i.uessaZ OF Texas

In the southern part of the country,
especially along the Gulf Of Mexico, the
green-winged teals sometimes band in
enormous flocks
When they take their flight in the morning
the sound Of their wings is like a low roll
Of thunder and is audible more than
mile away.
1t takes them some time TO get separated,
and even In the middle Of the afternoon
focks numbering more than a thousand
individuals are occasionally seen hurting
themselves steadily through the air, or
STOPPING and roaring down upon some
pond like huge black column falling from
the sky.
When a half-dozen duck hawks get above
a band of this size they gorge themselves
and the whirling motions of the pursued
birds are wonderful to see. In the forenoon
flocks which contain more than five thou
sand teals are not uncommon. How they
rush through space without collision il
one OF natures mysteries.
II a man were within easy range OF a
horde Of this kind there is no telling how
many he might kill with both barrels There
is no reason why he should not get half as
many of them as he could get from one OF
the iocks Of rice birds which winter in the
far South.
The people down there call these little
fellows blackbirds and the record on black
birds is believed TO bc 343 with two barrels.
Anyhow, if a man were within thirty yards
of one of these punches of teals with a
cylinder-bored 10-gauge gun. loaded with
four and half drains o! slow powder and
two ounces of No. s shot in each barrel,
maybe he would kin hundred.
o. c. Guessaz Of San Antonio il one of
the best field shots Of the South and n
mighty duck hunter, He was squatting
once In SIENNA weeds In Arkansas county
waiting for something kilable 10 come
along. II was forenoon and the sky was
az clear as bell-one Of those days when
"A man can see ducks five miles distant and
they are all going the other way.
He had n rusted, pitted, old-style 10
gauge Parker, which he had abused for
years and it's temper was vicious. Its
stock had been broken 10y a wagon wheel
rolling over IL; 1t had lain for two days at
the bottom OF lake; its right hammer
wabblcd like drunken sailor. This gun
had been known 20 run into a farmers
flock Of tame turkey in the woods and slay
one Of its own volition.
Guessaz. who Is a Lieutenant-Colonel Of
the Texas National Guard, and chief in
spector Of its rife practice, lay low in the
damp and thought of the good times he
used TO have. Suddenly he heard first a
murmur. then a roar Of wings behind him
and gancinR up saw huge flock OF teal
down-swoopiEs. Probably hawk was
after them.
He threw up the gun as the flock passed
over, forty yards up, and pulled the for
ward trigger, the left barrel being empty,
as happeTs in such cases. The band thun- |
dered upward and a rain Of dead duck be-
gan.
They struck the shallow water in his
front with a succession OF rapid splashes
and thumped upon the hard ground on
either hand. For mile away wounded
birds could be seen dropping behind and
sinking from the flock.
No effort was made to retrieve them. |
No effort was made TO retrieve n dozen or
two which fell into the water broken
winged and swan away among the weeds.
Only the stone dead were recovered and
they numbared fort y-seven