The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-02-11
xxx.
AMONG TIE DECOYS.
BY 8. S. Ellis.

Of course / was glad to see Cham
bers. 1t was ten years since we met,
and when I heard that he was editing
= paper in the Western town to which
chance had brought ne, l made haste
to present myself at his Office. He
was the same genial, lovsble fellow,
nota whit older than on the day when
we were handed our diplomas and told
that this was the beginning, not an
end" And surely we had found 1t SO!
Whats become Of the Deacon?' l
asked, after the first half hour of COM
pairing experiences. "The Deacon
we had named him this for his solemn
co~untenance and sober ways-had been
N of a trio in our boyhoo1. What
a shot he WasI" I exclaimed, in ad-
miration. @.Many's the time I've seen
him pick squirrels from the tip-top OF
those big hickories in the works"
/ thought a queer expression passed
over Chambers face, but he answered:
The Deacon u.s. right here. He is.
my right hand man-oogidn't do with
out him. And he is just as good a
shot as he eve was. 1 have reason
to know" The queer expression, COM
ing again. aroused my curiosity.
How that? Been having a shoot
ing match? III have to see old Dea-
con.
+Tonmy,-Cfamber leaned back
in the revolving chair,-"you've seen
Deacon with a rife, but did o. ever
see him handle a shotgun"
Z never did. Not. much use for a
shotgun back there, you know"
Here it's different From Septem-
Der till M freezes there are ducks a.
plenty in, these marshy lakes round
here
1.-The first three years we were up
here Deacon and l never let a week
pass in September and October with
out an hour or two on the lakes.
Lake Henry is only six or seven
miles out, and we could drive there
for a couple of hours shooting in the
evening. after closing. This lake is
nothing more than a great marsh, six
or seven feet deep at the limit, and
Sloping up from that to comfortable
wading In hip boots. The water is filled
with PUSHES, which grow from a foot
to four or five feet above the water.
Here and there is open water for a
few yards
Two years ago in September we
were planning great sport. We had
ordered a dozen decoys and built two
skins. We were going out for three
days, soon after the opening of the
season But our decoys, which were
10 be shipped to Us from St. Paul, did
not come The first Of October found
us still waiting aad losing patience,
we started without them.
sThe weather was rainy, with fire.
1uent wndsqualls. On the first night
Gar tent blew down in the midst OF
@ downponr- We sat the remainder
OF the night shivering over a fire OF
vet wood. The next day was stormy
with high winds. What few birds we
saw few SO high that you could not
touch them. 1 had caught a cold from
NV ducking, and l was SO hoarse ]
could hardly talk, and mad enough tc
quit But you know the Deacon. He
said he'd have some ducks il he had tt
sit there TIL Christmas
-T kept getting hoarser all day, un
III I couldn't talk above a whisper, 81
I told Deacon. in the afternoon, tina
would 20 .to town and get somethin!
Tor my cold, and see if the decoys hat
come
trWhen / reached town the first mai
I met was the agent, who said the DO.
had come / didn't lose many minute
loading it into the buggy and startin!
hack to camp. The wind had gon
down and Il had turned colder an
was cIouEy-just as near a perfec
evening for dicks as you'll find. l ha
to laugh at myself when I tried t
speak to the horses, and could do moth
ing but screech and wheeze.
al left the team at a house about
uEarter OF a mile from camp, an
walked through the dusk the remain
der of The distance. The Deacon wa
not in sight l supposed he was i
a blind near by, waiting Nfor duck.
SO / set about rigging the decoy% fH
the morning shooting. Loading ther
into my skiR, 1 poled out in the sha,
low water.
1.-THE boat was a fimsy affair, high
enough to pick UP and carry, and abou
as safe as rafting on a bridge planI
We always pat on hip boots as a Ore
stationary measure. when we went OF
I'm it
81 pushed it put to a BIT Of ope
water. fifty or seventy-five yards fro1
shore, and set out the decoys. The
were fastened together with a cor
and I had a piece of scrap iron in tn
boat to anchor them with.
There was just light enough to Sc
objects on the water toward the we,
and the flash of birds passing throue
the circle Of light overhead. The laR
waS teemi0g with bird life. Clouds Z
noisy blackbirds wheeled from or
part to another; Gathering rails we,
stirring about in the grass and snlosr
ing across the open water; occasiona
1y a poke rose with hoarse Shrek an
heavy, awkward Tapping of wings.
whistle, of wings went past oyerhes
and AWAY to the left. l followed the
till they passed a cIump of willow
when a jet Of fire leared out, foIlowt
by the sound of Deacon's Pqun.
For the mcment / had forgotten II
decoys, and l now discovered that tn,
had drifted away f~om the boat. The
was no current wind enough