THE PELICAN OF THE WILDERNESS 9 



ing themselves freely with food — more especially at 

 the time I speak of, when the water is low and the 

 fish are locked in chains of pools. 



After a little shooting, our long-billed friends 

 became rather less confiding, but were always easily 

 accessible to a rifle-shot. On the return journey I 

 was sitting one evening at sunset on my wagon-box, 

 watching with never-failing interest the wonderful 

 spectacle of these birds threading their majestic way 

 far aloft in the heavens, their long legions thrown 

 sharply in relief against the brilliant sky. Dove sat 

 hard by on his own wagon, also watching. Pre- 

 sently a band came over our way. In their evolutions 

 a small knot of the birds sailed closely together. The 

 temptation was too great ; I had my rifle in my hand, 

 and, taking rapid aim, made an extremely lucky shot 

 at a distance of some two hundred and fifty yards. 

 The fall of the stricken pelican was, from the great- 

 ness of the altitude, very remarkable. Over and 

 over it turned, seeming as though it would never 

 reach the earth. When picked up by one of the 

 boys it was stone-dead. 



