tell you, though you'll never enjoy the story as much as I did the
actual thing. I had a cousin up here last winter. He was from New
York City, and had never shot at real game, though he was a deadly
marksman when it came to the trap, and could break bats and clay
pigeons right along."

"I've seen the breed," commented Frank, with a grin.

"Well, when we came crawling out here I forgot that I had asked
Benson to put my little flock of decoys out for me. The first
thing I knew I heard a bang close to my ear, and then a second
shot, after which Cousin Hal jumped up shouting that he had
knocked over the entire bunch. He had, but you ought to have seen
his look when I sent him wading out to retrieve the game. Still,
he laughed himself at the joke, and begged me not to tell it till
after he left."

"I guess they'll float about as well as ever, even if weighted
down with shot. Have you got a boat up here, Bones?" asked Ralph.

"Sure I have, and a dandy one to shoot out of, being flat-bottomed
and steady as a church floor. But I only use it to retrieve the
game generally; because you see, we can shoot from the land as the
ducks fly over to enter the swamp."

Frank had often heard of this style of shooting, and wanted to try
it; so that he was very glad he had come. After the tremendous
strain of the morning some relaxation of this kind would be a good
thing too, for all of them.