CHAPTER XIII
THE GREAT MARSH
"Glad to see you, fellows! Say, by the way, I hear that Cliffordwon the great football match against Columbia!" was the way theway Bones Shadduck greeted them as they reached his door and rangthe bell.
"You don't tell me," said Frank, with a smile; "when did ithappen?"
"Oh! last night some time. It was a great victory. I'm told theynearly painted the town red over it," responded the other.
"Well, for my part I prefer to do the celebrating after the thingis over to shouting before hand. Perhaps they celebrated too hard,and that might account for several fool plays that were made. Ihad an idea that several of Clifford's best players looked ratherred-eyed, as though they didn't get much sleep," remarked Frank,as they entered.
"And I shouldn't be surprised if you were right. I was told theyhad a dance and it was all hours of the morning when they wenthome," echoed Bones.
"But what did you want us over for in particular?" asked Frank.
"Something to show you and then a proposal to make. I had abirthday to-day, and my dad's been mighty good to me. What do youthink of that?"
Bones whipped out a beautiful shotgun from behind a case andhanded it over to the others to admire.
"Looks like a dandy, all right. And I wager she'll do some goodwork when you get to looking over the sights. Handles great, too.Although I think I like my own gun a little the better, stillthat's only a matter of prejudice. You're lucky to have such adad, Bones," remarked Frank, as he drew an imaginary bead on someobject seen out of the window.
"And now for my proposal. I'm just wild to try the new gun, and Ihad word from father's farmer, Benson, that the ducks were in theold swamp that adjoins our big patch of ground over Wheaten way. Ican get our horse and the three of us might take a spin over tosee what we can do," suggested Bones, eagerly.
"But I thought duck shooting was always done in the earlymorning?" ventured Ralph.
"It usually is; but in some localities there is apt to be a goodevening flight. That happens to be the case over at the swamp.I've seen them come in there to spend the night by twos anddozens, until the air was thick with them. And I've had the bestsport of my life in knocking them over on a runway, or ratherflyway. Say you'll go, Frank?" pleaded the enthusiastic sportsman.
"Well," answered the one addressed, "it always appeals to me, andin this case I'd just as soon be away from town to-night, becausethe boys are going to do stunts, and they hinted that they mightget hold of me to ride me around, something I object to seriously,on general principles. So far as I'm concerned I'll be delightedto go along, Bones."
"Ditto here," exclaimed Ralph; "only I shall have to go to be thepick-up, for I haven't got a gun. I used to handle an old one ofMr. West's, but, of course, didn't bring it along with me."
"Oh! that's easily fixed. If you don't mind you can use my oldone. She's a steady shooter. If you cover your bird you get himevery time. And I've got plenty of shells. Suppose you chase backand get your double-barrel, Frank, while I see about the rig.Ralph will stay with me and help, I know."
It was speedily arranged and Frank, on returning with his gun,found the others ready to make a start. Just as he had said thearrangement pleased him first-rate, for he really did want to getout of town until a late hour that night. It was not at all to theliking of the football captain to be carried around on show, justas if he were a hero on exhibition; especially when he avowed thathe deserved not one whit more honor for the victory than eachother member of the team.
"I hope they get Lanky, and trot him around some to see how helikes it. He was scolding me for not behaving right to the boysto-day, when they grabbed me on the field after the game. I'd givesomething to see him wallowing around on a platform and made tobow to the right and to the left, over and over again."
All of them laughed heartily at the picture Frank conjured up.Then they clambered into the vehicle and the start was made.
They had been wise enough to hide the guns, so that while some ofthe boys who were on the streets saw them ride off, they had nosuspicion that the one bright particular star of the intendedcelebration intended to be far away at the time.
It was a ride of more than ten miles. The horse, while not a fastanimal, could keep up a steady pace, and in good time they arrivedat the farm which Doctor Shadduck owned.
As the afternoon was passing, and night comes early after themiddle of November, the three young sportsmen hastened to head forthe swamp where they anticipated having an hour or so of pleasurebefore dark actually shut in.
Bones had often come up here on a similar errand, though this washis first visit this year. Still, he kept things in such shapethat there was little time wasted making the necessary arrangements.
He had a few painted decoys that had seen much service and thesethey carried along with them from the house.
Seeing Frank curiously examining one of the stools he carried,Bones broke out into a hearty laugh.
"Wondering what peppered that wooden decoy so, eh, Frank? I'lltell you, though you'll never enjoy the story as much as I did theactual thing. I had a cousin up here last winter. He was from NewYork City, and had never shot at real game, though he was a deadlymarksman when it came to the trap, and could break bats and claypigeons right along."
"I've seen the breed," commented Frank, with a grin.
"Well, when we came crawling out here I forgot that I had askedBenson to put my little flock of decoys out for me. The firstthing I knew I heard a bang close to my ear, and then a secondshot, after which Cousin Hal jumped up shouting that he hadknocked over the entire bunch. He had, but you ought to have seenhis 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 tillafter he left."
"I guess they'll float about as well as ever, even if weighteddown 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-bottomedand steady as a church floor. But I only use it to retrieve thegame generally; because you see, we can shoot from the land as theducks fly over to enter the swamp."
Frank had often heard of this style of shooting, and wanted to tryit; so that he was very glad he had come. After the tremendousstrain of the morning some relaxation of this kind would be a goodthing too, for all of them.
"I told my people not to expect me home to supper; and also thatthey might be having game tomorrow for dinner, if we were lucky,"remarked Frank.
"And nobody will bother whether I show up or not," observed Ralph,with a nervous little laugh.
"Never mind, old chap, I calculate that there's going to come adecided change in your condition before a great while. You'reshowing true grit in bearing up as well as you do. Any day you mayget the letter that tells you the ones you look for are on the wayhere. Then your troubles will be all in the past. Hello! how'sthis Bones? Have we arrived?" and Frank looked around curiouslywhen the guide came to a sudden halt.
"Here we are, fellows. You see that abrupt break in the heavy lineof trees. It seems to form a sort of avenue, and the ducks inflying toward the swamp just naturally drive into it, followingafter each other as though it were really a road. In fact, few ofthem ever enter the swamp by any other way than this."
"If we're going to shoot over a place like this, as the ducks comein, why the decoys?" asked Ralph.
Bones laughed as he replied:
"I generally keep them out here during the season, in a littleshelter I have. Nothing like making fellows useful, you know; andwhile we were coming I thought three could carry them better thanone! Sort of making you work your passage, see?"
Knowing the ground, and the habits of the waterfowl, Bones quicklyplaced his two friends. Then they anxiously awaited the coming ofthe first game.
A sort of routine had been arranged. This was to prevent any wasteof ammunition, through two of them shooting at the same quarry.
"Frank, you try the first chap, Ralph the second, and
I'llexperiment with my new gun when the next pilgrim spins along.Don't forget that they are swift customers right here, and thechances are you'll shoot back of them," said Bones, as they stoodat their posts.
"There, Frank!" exclaimed Ralph, as a couple of dark objectssuddenly burst into view, and sped past them.
But Frank was not taken unawares. He had shot ducks more than oncebefore, and knew how to properly gauge their flight. Beginning alittle behind the pair he swept his gun forward so as to passthem; and at just the instant it covered the game in its swingingmovement he pressed the trigger.
One of the ducks fell, stone dead, and the other went on withdiminished speed as though crippled. Almost instantly the secondbarrel spoke, and this time down came the second bird.
"Fine!" exclaimed Bones, who had never seen Frank shoot before;"why, really, I'm ashamed to show my clumsiness before such acrack shot."
"None of that, now. And don't believe I can do that sort of workright along. Next time it may be a clean double miss. Ducks areunreliable things. I've known the best of shots to miss, time andagain. Ralph, step up and toe the mark. You're next on thedocket," laughed Frank, as he hastily replaced the dischargedshells with fresh ones.
"Better retrieve your game while the balance of us keep a lookout.Otherwise we'll get things mixed, and perhaps lose some of it.Did you mark the places?" said the host of the little hunt.
"Oh! yes, I always do that. It gets to be a habit with any fellowwho hunts much. I think they fell dead, so I oughtn't to have muchtrouble," replied Frank.
"Beware the oozy spots along the border of the marsh. I've had noend of trouble getting stuck instead of duck," called out Bones,as the other moved away, carrying his gun along with him as a wisehunter always does.
Just as he retrieved the second victim to his accuracy he heard asingle shot, and a heavy body fell not ten feet away. Ralph haddropped his first duck also.
"There you are," remarked Frank, throwing the three birds down, ashe returned to the rendezvous; "and they do certainly look fineand plump. Reckon you have quite a few muskrats in this old marshof yours, Bones. I saw a lot of houses in the water, made ofsticks and trash?"
"I was told there were. Of course I've seen the little varmints attimes, when I've been hiding in a duck-blind; but they nevertrouble me, and I don't go out of my way to interfere with them.Ah! there!"
He threw up his gun, and a second later two shots rang out inrapid succession. Quite a bunch of teal had swung into theavenue, heading for the marsh. They were just everlastinglyhurrying, as Ralph said, and while Bones succeeded in knockingdown a couple, one only wounded, which he never did find, hedeclared he ought to be ashamed for not doing better.
"Still, I like the feel of the gun all right. I'll do somethingworth while when I get used to the hang of it," he remarked, as hewent off to look for his game.
Then Frank had another chance. Sometimes the ducks were higher up;then again they came at such speed that it was next to impossibleto make a hit.
So the fun went on for three-quarters of an hour. It was actuallygetting dusk, and the flight seemed about over. Ralph had droppeda single duck, and gone off to try and find it, though Bones saidhe doubted whether he would succeed, because of the gatheringgloom.
About five minutes afterwards, as he and Frank were sitting thereon the log, exchanging stories of former hunts, they heard Ralphcalling.
"Hello! what's the matter?" exclaimed Frank, starting up.
"I don't know, but I can give a pretty good guess," remarkedBones; and then elevating his voice, he shouted:
"What d'ye want, Ralph?"
"Better drop over here, please!" came the reply.
"He's in some sort of trouble," suggested Frank, judging from thehalf apologetic tone of his chum.
"Yes, and I expect stuck in the ooze of the marsh, worse luck!"grunted Bones.