Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-02-14
THE WHITE MALlARD.
Rivalry Among Manitoba Indians to
Kill Duck of Strange
Plumaqe.

XIII DUCK OF Strange
PIumage.
Where he was Matched, in what
marsh he first saw the light of day,
where is the water in which he first
padded about in his mothers wake.
these and many other interesting
things about him will never be
known; but that he was Matched, that
he did swim about and that he grew
to be fine, large white mallard duck,
there can be not the smallest doubt
in the world, because he was shot and
killed at the mouth of the Red Riv-
er, about fifteen miles north of Sell
kirk, and today his body is in the
shop of Winnipeg, (Manitoba) taxi
dermist awaiting the completion Of
the work necessary to convert him
into an exhibit that will be talked of
by many a hunter OF future days, for
while mallards are such rare birds
that old hunters in this land of the
wild duck, Manitoba, have never heard
OF a white mallard before.
Whether this rare avis few out of
the Far North or whether he is the
product of one of the nearer haunts
of his kind cannot be told, but the
first public knowledge of the white
mallard of 1907 was when he made
his appearance among the ducks that
throng the marshes at the mouth of
the Red River at this season.
NIL oh fnn
days ago and the white mallard was
at once marked by the Indian hunt
ers along the Lake Winnipeg marshes
by reason of his snowy plumage, so
sharply in contrast with the brown
coloring of his kind. At once it be-
came the ambition Of every man OF
the Indian marksmen>t to secure the
white wild duck for his own and each
one prayed that the flock with which
the snow white bird flew might wing
its way past the place where he lay
hidden in the reeds or that good for
tune would direct the flight of the
white mallard within gunshot of his
canoe on the waters of Lake Winni-
peg.
For week these prayers remained
unanswered and the white mallard
beat free air with his snowy pinions
and fed among his dusky Nightmares.
4 marvel among things of everyday
happening.
Better for the white mallard If he |
had stayed in the safe seclusion of
the marsh which gave him birth and
where, marked-a was his white plum |
age in contrast with that of his fell
lows, it brought him none of that |
fatal distinction that attended his adj
vent into the larger world of the Red
River rendezvous. Fate followed fast
upon the flight of the mallard sport |
and when, after avoiding all the lures
Of decoys set forth for his betraying, |
and after successfully directing his
course on wing out of gun range of
the hidden hunters, he at last ap
preached the cunningly concealed
blind of Indian John, a veteran duck
hunter of the Manitoba marshes, the
redman's ten gauge shot out a spite
full streak of fire and leaden pellets
pierced head, wing and body of the
white mallard and he fell plumply
down, with the crash and splash of
a heavy bird stopped short in rapid
flight.
A minute more and the white beau
~ was securely laid in the bottom of
Indian Johns canoe and his life's
story was over, but stuffed and mount
ed, he will live again to tell his tale
% many, and to revive, perhaps after
ong years. recollection of the white
nallard of Manitoba.
The bird is of good size, full grown
md almost pure white, slight pearl
md cream tints being the only varia-
ion from absolute whiteness.-New
York Sun.