Year: 1860

lars of lava; supposing, in my SIM
plicity, that they were all there was
on the lake. In this business my
Dutchman, soon gave proof of such
sagacity that I was glad to excuse
him from further effort. I had fixed
up blind" on a narrow point of
land running into the Lake, and sent
him toward the rocks with orders TO
scare up the ducks already there, then
TO hide in tie bushes and not show
himself when any came toward me !;
but, if they came toward where he
was. he must run out toward the
beach. Now mark how well he car
ried out his part of the plan. He
went down toward the rocks being
careful. however, not to disturb VIII at
ducks were there but, the moment
one came toward my hiding place,
out he rushed to the shore, throwing
up his hat. tossing his arms about and
voc;ferating at great rate. and when
they were scared off to the rocks,
away he would run on the EMS ofhis
toes and half bent to hide in the
bush. lie went through this mane-
vcr some half dozen times, in spite of
frantic .gesticulations of remonstrance
on my part, when. my knees being
almost worn to the bone on the grav-
el, went to him for an explanation.
He had merely altered the original
plan. As he did not think it worth my
while to waste powder and shot oil
one or two ducks, he was going to
get them all down to the rocks, then
bring down the whole flock at once.
so that, as he expressed it. | might
keel so more as 1ozened T. After
this performance / put Mr.. Dutch
man into bunch of thorny bushes
with orders not to movc till fired !:
and this time he "stayed put" l
now crawled through the sand drag
ging my gun after me until within
shooting distance of a flock near he
shore and killed five, wounding as
many more. An hour before dark l
took up station in a "blind" at the
mouth of a large creek. Although
there was hardly duck to be seen
a. this time, it was not long before,
far out on the lake, | would distin-
suish dark line moving on the wa
ter whicl, as it advanced resembled
| the shadow Of cloud.


On toward my ambush camo this
living cloud, with here and there a
white sheet of spray flashing above
The dark mass, as in their gambols
they heat the water with their wings
or plunged beneath its surface. When
within fifty yards of the shore they
halted and seemed afraid to venture
any closer to the "h'ind." For some
time they hovered near. at first two
or three would start and swim half
way TO the beach. then turn about
and swim back to the flock, till at
length one or two were bold enough
to venture to the shore these were
soon followed by others, then by four
at a time, and now, becoming bolder
as their numbers increased, instead
of standing motionlcss on the shore
and gazing suspiciously about, they
gave themselves mp to all manner of
prauks, plunging, diving and chasing
each other ever and anon looking to-
ward the main flock and nttering a
shri'l quaek. quack, as if to invite
them to join in the sport. Soon the
whole fack moved to the shore. and
filled the creek clambering over each
Others backs and scattering them.
selves along the beach as far as a
drop of fresh water is to be had
Bang bang let go both barrels
among them and with a noise like a
heavy roll of thunder they are up and
off not all, hewever. for on rushing
to the shore | found the water strew-
ed with a number of dead and woun.
ded. | secured eleven, as many more
winged and otherwise crippled escap'
ed. The next morning killed nine
more, and SO ends my first hunt on
Mono Lake.