The sun., 1909-11-14

twenty. wore gathered In the great living
room of the club the captain Of the or
sanization. hardy resident OF the county
m which Wapanoca N located. appeared.
followed by a crowd OF colored men.
These were the paddlers. and they were
to be drawn for by lot.
Inquiry developed that thirteen men
were TO shoot the next day and numbers
from I to ~ were placed In q leather
bottle and the drawing began. One Of
the New Workers. had first choice OF the
paddlers and his host selected o straight
haired man Of IS. with high cheek
bones and more Of Indian than negro
blood In his veins. Jim was his name.
and he stepped out OF the ranks at the call
OF tho captain In the draw for blinds
the second stranger was fortunate and his
host selected for him a portion OF one OF
the upper bayous through which the
birds aew from one feeding ground to tho
other. They afforded the ideal pass
shooting and promised great sport II
there was a wind.
The other New Yorker had seventh
choice Of stands and he was advised to
try the cypress blind, and the wisdom
OF his choice was applauded when a tall
Memphian told with never a smile or the
day he had sat at that particular spot
during snowstorm trying Intellectually
to shoot geese. -and thers were thousands
OF them too,- said the tall man.
We'll. why didn't you shoot them''
queried the Innocent New Yorker.
because there were 90 gol darned
msny ducks between me and the geese
] couldn't hit them ts they fiew over
drawled the veraoious person amid peals
OF laughter from all save the bitten, who
allowed that he would be glad TO treat
II he would be permitted to do 90.
The servants were astir long before
daybreAk. fires we're lighted and baths
were ready and breakfast was eaten by
lampiight. One by one the shooters
departed for their stations. thoee who had
drawn the more distant blinds leaving
first. and soon ell had gone but the inno-
cent OF the previous evening whose
curiosity about the geese had been re-
wsrded. His blind was not more than
half q mile from the clubhouse and there
was no hurry for him. a. It was desirable
that the others should be located before
his departure.
Daylight revealed the character OF the
country. The horizon was fringed with
tall Expresses. with here and there burst
Of vivid green from occasional clumps OF
willows. Jim. laden with shells and the
lunch bask cts. walk cd In advance to show
the way. and lese than three hundred feet
brought the boathouse In view. There
was a tremendous quackins and Tapping
OF wings from half q dozen ducks in a
wooden crate near by, and upon being
asked the reason Jim replied:
They knows where they all's goin'.'
They were live decoys and later they
were to give an illustration OF their intel
ligence that was almost uncanny.
The boat, broad beamed. hat bottomed
affair. had In its bow swinging chair, and
In this the shooter was told to xit. Be-
tween his feet was q tin can containing
crate Of decoys had been disposed OF the
dusky paddler pushed into the stream.
which at this point was not more than
twenty feet wide. He used q long pole
TO propel the boat and was as picturesque
as any gondolisr Of the Grand Canal.
His shirt was open at the throat and his
siuewy arms were barred to the elbows.
He was rubber booted TO the hips.
There was q muttering now and then
from the decoys as the boat passed be-
tween the wooded banks Of the nArrow "
stream. The sun was rising gloriously.
promising q perfect day n the wind should
freshen a trife. There was a rumble
az Of thunder in the distance Or ~ Of q
train passing over . long trest1e or rail-
road bridge. and this was repeated at in
tervals. finally causing the inquiry swhat
was that2' from the man in the bow.
That's . few ducks getting up out on
the lake vas Jim's reply.
The stream wound In and out OF the
Cypress and soon thsre was the whistling
Of rapid pinions and ducks darted with
whiriwind speed through the tops Of the
trees. From far up the lakes and hayous
sounded the chorus OF number twelves.
and the fingers Of the New Yorker twitched
nervously. eager to begin the slaughter.
Don't shoot yet cautioned Jim.
Just ahsad cleaned bunch Of willows.
the morning sun making the foliage re-
splendent in strong contrast to the dull.
dead gray Of the gaunt cypress. The
willows bortiered q pool perhaps a hun
dred yards across. and the surface Of that
pool was black with ducxs--no. not black
now IOt " WHo WAPROh w AVoh W WV
myriad wings Of the mallards as they
roee sheet after sheet and tier after tier
and hurled themselves skyward TO an ao-
compartment Of laundering wings.
As they topped the timber limo and the
sun caught theshecn Of their bright green
necis outsfrstohe6 In tight they were a
dazzling picture. They were within
gunshot. but no trigger was pulled. Jim
stood impassiveiy and merely remarked
In responss TO the exclamation that the
sight brought 10 the shooters lips:>
That's nothing; waltz
Turning abruptly to the left after CROSS
ing this pond and polling through an
almost lmpsnctrable hedge Of Willows
the boat was halted.
sNow look at some duoks,' whispered
Jim. and pesring through the ieafy screen
the New Yorker gasped for breath.
An arm OF the lake about half mile
long and hundred yards wide at its
EXTREMIST was disclosed. Every part oi
Il had duck disporting upon it's surfacs
feeding or pluming itself. and for some
minutes neither man spoke. At the lower