38 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



among them was seeking a wife, or already had 

 sought and been successful in the quest. Judg- 

 ing by what I saw on several occasions, this wife- 

 getting was sometimes a strenuous game; and a 

 frequent sight over the marsh was that of two 

 showy green-head or pintail drakes cutting and 

 slashing at each other, so to speak, as they pur- 

 sued a sober little duck, that coyly flew straight 

 away, and intimated^dreadful untruth — that 

 she wanted neither of them. And after all she 

 doubtless married the most insistent fellow. 



Down at the southeast corner of the lake, a 

 small sluggish creek connects the great chain of 

 sloughs with the main water. I waded it bare- 

 footed; and when on the other side, I sat down 

 on a matting of rushes to get the sand off my 

 toes before putting on my shoes, I suddenly 

 noted that I had a visitor. Winging down the 

 creek, just a little higher than the rushes, was a 

 Canada goose, a huge fellow, and I slowly flat- 

 tened down. But he had seen me first; at least 

 he said so in a few deep-toned honks ; and it was 

 very evident that he was coming deliberately to 

 ascertain the nature of my business here. He 

 swerved around me, just about a long gun-shot 

 off, and I could see his black head twisting as he 



