File:Feathered game of the Northeast (1907) (14753116674).jpg

Identifier: featheredgameofn00ric (find matches)
Title: Feathered game of the Northeast
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Rich, Walter Herbert, 1866-
Subjects: Game and game-birds
Publisher: New York, T.Y. Crowell & Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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common way in this neighborhood is forthe gunner to go to the home of some dwelleramong the outer islands and start out with him.At midnight or a little later the warning hail isheard and out from the blankets you stumbleto blink sleepily over a cup of strong coffee andthe fuel to keep the inner man in order, thendown to the shore to make ready. Cold andstill the night, scarce a breath of air movingover the quiet water, but with regular rise andfall the gently seething swell breaks over therocks at the mouth of the narrow cove. In-side the rocky barrier small fishing crafts rideat anchor, the water rippling alongside and theirmasts reflected in the waves show like long, un-dulating serpents. Overhead the moon showspale and cold, and the stars in the sky are wink-ing down at their reflections in the sea. Anoncomes the gentle rustle of the breeze amongthe pines, so still the night you hear theirneedles shivering with the cold, and next therumble and clatter of the decoys, oars and other
Text Appearing After Image:
m Qw z <y Qi THE AMERICAN EIDER 375 trappings jar discordantly on the silence asthey are tumbled into the boat. At last we areoff and are soon right willing to stand our trickat the oars, pulling away with a good will, forthe air is pitilessly cold, and the black-lookingmass where we hope for our mornings sportrises out of the sea a good four miles away.After a long pull with oar blades made heavywith their coating of ice, we find ourselves on thebarren, wave-washed ledge. The decoys arequickly set and are soon floating in a life-likebunch before a natural blind in the rocks. Youhave come a long distance in the chill air of thenight and though half frozen with the wintersbreath are yet ready to brave rheumatism orrisk pneumonia in the pursuit of your game.If so you are made of the stuff that succeedsand deserve success. On every hand strange and fantastic shapesloom up like ghosts,—the work of dashing sprayand the north wind. The rocks are clad in icyarmor and every salt stream t

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