to the banks of a small lake where the young men were told there
would be plenty of wild ducks. They were in no hurry to begin
their sport. They sat down in the sun on some flat rocks at the
water's edge, and said they would have something to drink before
setting to work. They got out some of the bottles from the wagon,
and began to take long drinks from them. Then they got
quarrelsome and mischievous and seemed to forget all about their
shooting. One of them proposed to have some fun with the dogs.
They tied us both to a tree, and throwing a stick in the water, told
us to get it. Of course we struggled and tried to get free, and
chafed our necks with the rope.

"After a time one of them began to swear at me, and say that he
believed I was gun-shy. He staggered to the wagon and got out his
fowling piece, and said he was going to try me.

"He loaded it, went to a little distance, and was going to fire, when
the young man who owned Bob said he wasn't going to have his
dog's legs shot off, and coming up he unfastened him and took him
away. You can imagine my feelings, as I stood there tied to the
tree, with that stranger pointing his gun directly at me. He fired
close to me, a number of times over my head and under my body.
The earth was cut up all around me. I was terribly frightened, and
howled and begged to be freed.

"The other young men, who were sitting laughing at me, thought it
such good fun that they got their guns, too. I never wish to spend
such a terrible hour again. I was sure they would kill me. I dare say
they would have done so, for they were all quite drunk by this
time, if something had not happened.