224 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



liad cut loose on them when they were very close 

 to him, and head on, a very difficult shot with 

 these geese that are the swiftest of them all 

 awing; and as a result, he missed them with both 

 barrels. 



We had scarcely secured the dead birds and 

 put them out of the way — it doesn't do to leave 

 them belly-up in the stubble, where they fall — 

 when three more flocks were coming, one detach- 

 ment after the other, and about half a mile apart. 

 I was making adjustments and declaring that I 

 was going to use both kodak and gun this time, 

 when a profoundly disgusted remark from my 

 companion caused me to look up quickly. He 

 didn't say very much — words are so impotent at 

 such times. Approaching along the edge of the 

 stubble were three teams, each hauling a binder. 

 They were strung out a good distance apart, and 

 it didn't need a mathematician to figure out that 

 those teams would be in front of us when the 

 geese arrived. They were; and though each 

 flock halted a little in indecision and climbed 

 higher as though to await the passing of the ob- 

 structionists, they finally decided to pass on to 

 the northward. 



The next flock came broken in two detach- 



