The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-24
THE DELIGHTS OF HUNTING
 DUCKS AT HARVE DE GRACE
.ArRUz HUNTER WRITES or INCIDENTS AND PERSONS FIGURING IN AN ENJOYABLE OUTING FOR
 MARYLAND DUCKS.


 clear through and pulled out my diff ference-my revolver. you know--and told him if he did 1t again 1t would be him and me. But I'd lost too much time already: they'd done got the two big boats ashore in Cecil county, which was outer my Jurisdiction. and the guns ashore where couldn't tech them. So we got to chatting together friendly like. now that fl was too late. whilst prospected around the big boats to see how 1t was they had kept hid so well. That was many years ago when was fresher to the busi- ness. you see. and ding bust me, If they hadn't hung curtains of black calico from the gunnels clear to the water. making no shadow at all. while the. overhanging sides of my boat made black mark in the water that could be, seen a good ways off. Pres ently the other feller came in.f in the skiff and asked him how many ducks they gotton on the one shot. He says fifty-two mallard-thats going some, don't you think?" .Yes. yes. Captain" interposed one of the party, hut that isn't telling us about the fix Judge Watson got into. Won't you tell us about that. tooT'
 Well. guess you all know the Judge and how he weighs nigh onto 300 and ain't more n knee-high to | grasshopper when he stands up straightest. I do believe. when that , man wanted to seem tall he'd lay down on his belly and Haunt his coat tails in the air. Anyhow, 1t was all solid flesh. as we come to find out la | ter. and mighty .unhandy, to tackle from the outside without no block and tackle or skids to help you.
 I "You see, 1t was this way. The Judge he come down on a Friday night after telegraphing me earlier in the week to have good blind rfgged a. purpose for him in the best stand I could find told him I had just the place fixed for him and was careful to explain to him just exactly where l that barrel was and how had 1t rig 1, ged with a seat and arm rests, mak- I ing 1t sorter easier for him to get in and out. But the Judge is too ner- vous to listen to much explanations and shuts me off afore I can tell him not to take the barrel to the Jeff. but to keep on a mite further to the right just back of the point. explaining and trotting round him trying to catch his eye so as to make sure that everything was understood and ship ! shape. but io,, he was that fat by the time you'd be halfway In front of him he'd make a turn to look at some other of his traps and you'd have to start all around again.
 "As he hadn't much time to spare and wanted to start back to Chester Sunday morning, he was for getting up to the hotel for good dinner and | then out in his hired launch to the flats without too many preliminaries. as you might say. We'll, to cut 1t Aat 4a..n tA uA1 1rA all hell bent for election outen the East by midnight and the Judge I guess didn't have too. easy time reaching the appointe& position. The first thing I knowed his man came a running that lanch lickety split down the beach to my shanty. yelling for me to come and save the Judge. l dropped me gun and everything and waded out aboard. When we got there, sure enough the Judge needed help worst way. got back where he couldn't see me, so that I could laugh myself out before starting in to work. Believe me, gentlemen. but the Judge had fallen faceforemost in- to the big barrel, stuck rasv itowas ai- most half above, the ground That corporation of his'n had gone right in so as he was buried, you might say, to his knees and his chin and dinky little fat legs and arms was a-waving around promiscuous out of reach Of the ground; even if his gun hadn't gone on two Or three yards further 1t wouldn't a-done him no good. for he couldn't so much as pick a blade of grass under his red little nose. 'T was for going back and getting an ax to knock a few slaves out, so as to boost him out sideways. but he wouldn't have none of that Says he, Hoist me out the way I come in and be blanked quick about itE Well. siree, we all set to work, and such | tugging and grunting you never heard before in all your lives. >Fin- ally, just before the last heave, says, Judge. where's your lanternr y'
 ss'The deuce. don't you see I'm sweating; this here's Turkish bath; the beastly lantern fell into the bar rel afore I did and's a-burning yet. been trying to stop up the bunghoie. so as to smother it out, .--..
 "'And if you had says I. you'd a. frozen to death stead of being com fortable and warm And with that he got so hot under the collar at the next wrench he comes free.
 After batting him all over to see that he was all there, l asked the Judge where his flask might be-.
 | 't1n) the bottom of that first bar rel that guess you was trying to warn me against last night, and it's pity they wasn't both of the same size. for bounced often that one be- fore I rolled into this here one and got stuck
 And that was all he said afore he took the train back home. except as how he might be getting trifle old | for duck hunting after all"