The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
Phases of Hunting All
Over the Country.
DUCKS OF CORKScUEw FLIGHT.
Knack Of Shooting Sprigtails
Found b. Two Gunners.

UlI1cuItVt W Vho HSVssh1 "" - s<sNV VI
the Gulf Coasts -Puzxiing Movements Of
the Understanding the Prob'em-A
Queer whim OF Jacksnipe- 10 q Great
Ia, when Hunter Finds Them In Dry
Pasture-The Vanishing Musk aiIsnge
birds Flying Nerthward Already.
Two miles inland from the Gulf and just
above the reach Of Underwater lake spread
over a mile square OF nat. II was not moro
than two feet deep anywhere and not more
than a foot below it's shelving low banks,
II was grown up with water weeds Of every
kind and long. straight ass which rose
eighteen inches above its surface.
Thcra must have been great deal Of
food in it and on its soft bottom. Tor all sorts
If ducks loved it. Hundreds Of those that
passed over Bayou Marie daily were max
ing their way to or from II.
Often standing on the deck Of the house,
boat the gunner would soc afar and high
up a vast band Of fowls oircling, They
we're malta rds. or sprigtails, or teal. A they
circled they lowered and finally dropped
from sight on the grassy bod OF this lake.
Sometimes when the wind blew from that
quarter the cries Of the birds could be heard,
though it was thrce miles away. Coca
sionally it happened that the day was still,
Az still that feather dropped from the hand
would fall like a leaden plummet straight
down to tho ground On such days when
brace Of hawks stopped above tho lake
and the thousands OF fowls rose in alright
the rolling beating thunder OF their wings
~ AT L. nd sltafipcf1v Aaan1h
much like the muttsr which growls from .
far hack cloud low hung along the horizon
in summertime.
About this lake was bare land, barren and
sandy toward the Gulf. loamy toward the
pine hills to the north. There was not a
tree or bush TO break the sweep Of the wind
when storms blew.
There are times when the witch-call Of
the tornado sounds over the Gulf waters
and the sulphurous swirling clouds rueh Ia
from away out at sea. At such times they
scooped the water from this shallow lake
in thousands Of tons and hurled II fifty
miles northward over the forests and plan
tations, leaving It bare in places. showing
the narrowed mud; but 1t filed again. Any
fsh or birds caught on the lain In that storm
went the way Of all hsh and birds and their
companions knew them no moro.
On the day that the houseboat party trisd
Grass Lake not breath Of wind blew. No
shy whispers ran along the grass blades
or made the sennas click. The sky was
a mas of brohsn gray clouds driftinG slowly
from east TO west. 50 quiet was It down
below that they seemed to move Of their
own volftiou.
The 0uR was gray. srnooth and oily,
heaving slowfy with . motion sent 10 II from
far away. The light was clear gray, With
an undertone Of brown. lent BY tho brown
land and vegetation.
Il was the kind Of day when man may
throw back his head and stare At the sky
without lowering his eyelids ct all. though
all objects in air. ducks and birds, and even
a bit Of floating gossamer. show With clear
meas. II was Q perfect shooting light,
grateful to the eye.
II YOU can't kin to-day the Farmer
had said TO them, eft would be best TO throw
YOUR guns 70 thu nshss and 20 home. Wen
nv the lake and the sprGtails and the
chances are that you'll have the sort Of
shooting YOU never TACKLED before.
whats the matter with it'' the Doctor
asked
Nothing. except that sprigs jump higher
and faster and farther than any ten other
ducks on earth YOU'VE got 70 walk them
40 by wading on Grass Lake and II tates
a quick man to nail them. -.- .
SO II happsnsd that In the aftssnoon
ley we're wsdins into Grass Lake. wearing
r,bfer boots, which cams 10 tbs hips. ed
osr,ridee vests The wster was Of ths
-afne depth everywhere, coming JUS chow
l. a
Twelve tnohss dsep: they sant into sls inohns
- mud ~ every step -clinsinG. ,snsrioW
mud
hoy so' q taste Of VIA, tho ,oks voud
10 a, sopn ne they sfruok ths ws,sr. for .
rod -~v.nly yards oui, iespins from tho
L-,sl ~ the hard brown srsss. . Duple u
spustails spirslsd swiftly Nobody sho,
a. lon heoau.s !, wosild have bssn usslsas
when ilose feet al yours conc out ~
49, mud ssid the Doser 90 the kasassf.
''iss sound Nh. an ssksls' p.p~'
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rsmsf lsoks ln 'ns dssiks ss did
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vld Lowing Toy you'd Ls t.''sI. 20
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H. slHay sss,is.f
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. ilas ia9d isy's 80 10 10 sslas and
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.istisf il.sy s~ ~ - ssl ~ $50 Ass
90 iasli' Md 'sa siih tl.s LSses
cleo 80 l.,Il 40 sEAs-s'
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go ,-,ss asss sase 10 h.ss Sssssa
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Z 70 ssg s.lssA, "a ~ l~sY
- ps-s,s 80 40 ks,a.-ss ia.as-s n
|s - ialssa,,s a. lss sssss sir SO
sa $500 iis si-s 100 ~ ~ ~ $40 a
tsi isgssf q 40 $50 issslf - ,iasst sssss
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siial . fsai,s - - yssas 60 sslss
sssg g "a 800 - ass assas~s s-ias
siA--s sl,.sis sis i,.-sss ss~aAs
10 sssssa ssss ~ $50
ti.s ta.sa-s-s az 90 s~sss $4,000 -
80 tssf o. 49, ~ sfs,Sssn asses
80 i--a s.-~s@..s ~ sis ss-s sssss
- A. 1855 ssala.s ssS aes.~ - -
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