MIXUP WITH THE LAUGHERS 217 



she was in the hands of his father, and I felt that 

 negatives were assured. 



We prepared early for the evening flight, and 

 by two o'clock had the pits dug and the decoys 

 set out and were ready to do the disappearing 

 act at a moment's notice. Andy's pit was just 

 in front of mine, while Rob was located about 

 fifty yards distant, across the expected line of 

 flight. In the corner of my pit was a pocket 

 for the kodak case, that it might be kept out of 

 the way of my feet, and the muzzle of the twelve- 

 gauge, nicely hidden in stubble, protruded about 

 an inch over the pit-rim. 



The digging and arranging of a goose-pit is an 

 art by itself. Probably no two hunters fix it 

 just alike, but there are certain things which 

 must be borne in mind by every successful goose- 

 shooter. The green-horn usually excavates a 

 grave and throws the earth up conspicuously. 

 The second-rank tyro covers the fresh earth with 

 straw, or sticks weeds upright in it. And it is 

 amusing to watch the wily goose wink one eye at 

 these blinds and move along — ^when the other 

 fellow is in the pit, of course. 



But the real goose-pit has no fresh earth, no 

 weed fringe, no straw, nothing, and it can be de- 



