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Show 4 BlANl SlHMWMf U ON w Smm l4 J3 BW1N MAIN POSTssssSS , , O Z? HIRTY years ago tWs Sx spring my wise father KJ33S built a flat-bottomed sloop, O 43 feet lons on the keel Yfcp4x an( 17 teet wide, with f,i an enclosed cabin that has square windows instead of Ij portholes, and a head- &Z room of six feet all over f it. This cabin is 21 feet long, and consists of one large room with four wide berths, and a toilet toi-let room and a kitchen on either side J of the centerboard, at the forward end. Father named the boat Macy, after an old friend, and has had her con: tinuously in commission since she was launched; and Andrew Sammis, her first captain, is still in charge a bit gray now, but still the same careful and trustworthy skipper as of yore. With the opening of the ducking season sea-son in October she goes into what we call winter commission, and when the end of the season comes around she Is hauled out, thoroughly overhauled and prepared for the summer work. A. few years ago we built an overhanging overhang-ing stern on her and installed a gasoline gaso-line engine, so that we are no longer the. slaves of the wind god. The "Macy'8 Baby," as the stoolboat that carries the battery is called, is always al-ways at her stern, and this, with the addition of two skiffs and one or more dinkies for use in the ice, makes quite a formidable tow for the old boat. When we have more than a day or two to spend in the quest for the wily duck, we send the Macy out early to get a good place, and have a cat-boat cat-boat meet us at the dock to Bail over to her. Generally we catch a train that arrives at Babylon at half-past three o'clock, and we reach the dock ten minutes afterwards. Lay aside for a few moments your to come down in the Bkiff and pick up our game. There are three things of great importance im-portance in battery shooting; the first is to be able to kill when the bird is in range, the second ,to be able to call, and the third to know how to use the "flopper." Naturally the query rises to your lips, "What is a flopper?" It is a bundle of worn-out mittens, tied together with a bit of string, that I keep in my hand as we lie in wait for the game, and it is used to attract the attention of birds that are passing too far away to see the stool. As I am about to explain the use of the queer contrivance, I see yyaja ab lid BLtJIll, auu II11B, W1LU Ule addition of two skiffs and one or more to come down it dinkies for use in the ice, makes quite f our same, a formidable tow for the old boat. There are thr When we have more than a day or if'V portance in ba two to spend in the quest for the first is t0 be wily duck, we send the Macy out early SSlSf'IfSI; 'iSfe' ; ;nsfT! uird is ln r:ll: to get a good place, and have a cat- Sttp able t0 cal1' al boat meet us at the dock to Bail over Stf how to use the to her. Generally we catch a train -,-s, !, V" 'V" " N- tce Query rises that arrives at Babylon at half-past -V-V K - a flopper?" It i three o'clock, 'and we reach the dock ;,;3;yfs'i:SlS mittens, tied tc ten minutes afterwards. -1&f string, that I kt Lay aside for a few moments your lyiS'S lie in wait for ;SVKSSIs ' 1 -; ' i!rH used to attract M K9US. MSMMiSMtS ' 1 1 Is :': ' that are passing B lnr'lrimf"'Ba-aBaBWgQ WkaM ' ;f 1:f1 I'll ?: V ' : . 1. v' the stool. As ! I QgpfMlg the use of the q: troubles and worries, and come with us down to the battery. The i : : : ; a -jrfffjr'f1 HR Vt IT" Y kill some brant. It is half-past one o'clock, and battery, or "box," i? J I look up from my desk and see my father's smil- as it is more often Jr " ing face as he says: "Come, Buster, it is time termed, is set a uunca ol uiaut leading through the bay to the north of us, about a mile away. If they keep their present course they will pass us without seeing our stool. Something must be done to attract at-tract their attention. atten-tion. Quickly I flop the Copper up above the level of the box two or three times, carefully watching for any sign that the birds have noticed no-ticed Bomelhlug. If there Is no such sign, I flop again. Ah, this time they have seen it, for they rise in tho air and head toward us. Now we lie close, and they come straight ior our stool. If I were to flop even once after they have seen the stool, they would be off like a shot and it is just here that the science of using the flopper flop-per means so much. This time they head up on my side, and, when I give the word, we fire, you to kill two, while I am lucky enough to double with each barrel. When George arrives with the Bkiff and we tell him 11 are down, he smiles all over. I call to George to bring father down when he comes out to pick up again, for your day would not be complete without an hour or two in the box with that peerless sportsman, who Is today, at the age of 77, one of the best shots I have ever seen. We kill again, and George comes down with father. fa-ther. As I get into the boat, father steps Into the box with agility equal to mine, and I leave you to an enjoyment that has been the dearest privilege of my life. We have scarcely reached the Macy when you swing :ig;iin, and I talie up the glasses to watch with interest your good work. As noontime conies we get the Macy underway and drop down to the box, to reward you with a cocktail when you come aboard, and have all ready a smoking lunch of Ansel's best. After lunch we take turns in the battery, and, when the time comes to take up, we count a row of brant along the washer and find We return to llabylon in ample time for you to catch your train, and we do not let you go until you promise to come again. troubles and worries, and come with us down to kill some brant. It is half-past one o'clock, and I look up from my desk and see my father's smiling smil-ing face as he says: "Come, Buster, it is time to start." In a moment I have put on my coat and hat, and we are on our way to the Wall street entrance of the subway, as happy as ever two schoolboys starting on a holiday were. We meet you on the platform, and I relieve you of your bag or gun as we board a Brooklyn train. We change at Atlantic avenue to the Long Island train, and soon are at Jamaica, where we change once more to the local steam train and while away the next hour in swapping stories. The train stops at Babylon, and we pile out on the platform and into the dilapidated hack that takes us down to the dock. As it is early in the season and the days have not yet shortened enough to make it impossible for us to reach our destination before dark, the Macy is awaiting us, anchored just off the dock, and we see our good George coming off in the little skiff to speedily speed-ily set us on board. As you board the skiff you will not have to ask George, "Are there any birds?" for he will say: "Brant? Why, there's 5,000,000 of the cusses in Cedar Island cove. We'll have some o' them critters, crit-ters, and don't you forget it." Captain Andrew greets us with a cheery "Good day, gentlemen," as we reach his side, and you enter the cabin to find upon the table a pleasant welcome in the shape of a generous drink for er.ch of us. My father's hearty toast, "Glad to see you on board, sir," makes you feel at home at once. We promptly lay aside our "store clothes" and don our old shooting things, as the men get the anchor up and hoist the sail, and are soon in the cockpit enjoying the fresh air. Our progress is slow and stately, due to the flotilla behind us, ut we have only about four miles to go. Notice now the third member of our crew, a big, tall, fair-haired man with a smile that never comes off. This is Ansel, a newcomer to the Macy in comparison with the skipper, for Ansel has been with us only 20 years. He is a very important personage, for he is the engineer, chef, mate, general gen-eral utility man and fun-maker for us all. Hark! There is his voice now calling us to dinner. You sit down before a smoking leg of Iamb and dishes of vegetables, with an appetite to which you have been a stranger for a long time, and eat and eat of the good things before you until you are astonished at yourself. Topping off with some of the chef's famous pudding, and helping yourself to a good cigar from the box on the centerboard trunk, you are content. I take the wheel to let the men go below to eat their dinner, and by the time they have finished we arrive at ' the place where we will test out the battery in the I morning. At ten o'clock we turn into our berths ready for I in early call to breakfast. At fonr o'clock we are I -.ailed, and by the time we are dressed the break-ast break-ast is piping hot on the table. We hurry through (ur meal to let the men eat theirs, and while 1'jey are fixing out the battery an J stool, we sake a bit of a nap. The skipper calls us when he sees the men r.ave the stool nearly all out, and you and I put tn our sweaters and a dark coat, take our guns Ind shells, and get into the skiff, to be rowed to the battery. The V. wwwTTT" battery, or "box," Vii- JjOWJJ. as it is more often Jr " termed, is set pretty well to the windward of the bulk of the decoys, with just enough of them around it to hide it from birds coming down on the head; and in getting in we pick our way carefully through the decoys and step from the skiff well over toward to-ward the center, so as not to get any water in the boxes. On the deck of the box we have 12 iron decoys that are cut off on the bottom, so as to loom up higher than those on the water,-- and these we distribute around, heads to the wind, to make the box lay level. We each have a rubber rub-ber cloth and an old sweater to lie on, and a cloth-covered rubber pillow for our heads. Adjusting Ad-justing these comfortably, we load our guns, cock them and place them against the side on our right hand, taking care to keep at least two inches of the barrels over the end of the box, so that in case of an accidental discharge there will be no hole blown in the box. Long experience in battery shooting has taught me that the longer long-er the barrels of a gun are, the safer it is, and I heartily recommend 32 inch barrels. Being all ready to lie down, with only our eyes above the level of the water, and await the coming com-ing of our quarry. Two men with sharp eyes can keep a pretty thorough watch, except just behind be-hind them, and birds coming from that quarter generally swing off to one side or the other of the stool so that they can set their wing3 and light among the decoys headed up to the wind. You, as the guest of honor, are in the left-hand box, and just as the sun is rising I see a bunch of brant comirg in over the beach from the ocean where they have been roosting. If they are headed in our direction, and I think they will pass near enough to see our stool, we lie very close, and occasionally I call them; but the moment they see the stool and you can always tells this, because they give a sort of dart up in the air and, If they are coiving in, seitle down again headed toward us I make no further calls, but say to you: "They are coming in on your side. Lie perfectly Etill until I say 'Now!' and then give it to them." It is one of the most inspiring sights in the world to see a bunch H these lordly birds beaded bead-ed for the stool, and a great many people are deceived as to the di.star.ee they are off. on account ac-count of their great size often losing a chance by raisirg too quickly. I wa'ch thm with one eye above the edge of the box as they set their wings and come gracefully to the stool, and when they are in good range. I say: "Now! Ix;fs try 'em!" and we sit up with our guns in our hands and fire. As they are on your side and headed up to windward, yon will g-t the best show, because I must shoct at the tail of the bunch and will not have as good a chance to catch a double as you. You c,-n couf.t on my killing right and left however, and as my second bird starts to fall, I see you have three down. "Well done, my friend. We are not going to be skunked to-day. There are five ofthem, anyway." any-way." We both reload our guns, and I take my cap In my hand and swing It until I see an answering signal from the Macy. This mens that they art |