AMONG THE WaTER FowL 
that it was a Canada Goose. We learned from a 
neighboring settler that Geese usually bred in the 
vicinity, so we began the exploration of an adjacent 
large tract of rushes, back from the shore, hoping 
to discover the) mest of sthiss bird: = Phe <seareimae 
length brought me out to the shore again, near a 
projecting point of land. As I came around the 
rather steep shore of the point, what was my amaze- 
ment to come right upon a flock of Geese sitting 
on the beach, not twenty paces off. Eighteen of 
them were the common wild Canada Goose; the 
vther four were beautiful creatures, snow-white all 
over, save for the black outer half of the wings— 
Snow Geese—one of the last of the migratory flocks 
that had been pouring through the state on their 
way to the far north. It is hard to tell which felt 
the more surprise, the Geese or the intruder. For 
an instant they stood as though paralyzed, then 
sprang into the air and flew off with loud honkings. 
The Snow Geese went by themselves out over the 
lake and the others made a circle or two till they 
had mounted quite high, and then, in their usual 
wedge-shaped order, steered their course for the 
north. 
Just a week later, with the same companion, I 
started out on a six-weeks’ camping tour. Two 
fine horses drew a stout open double buggy, on the 
back part of which was loaded a tent and a complete 
camp outfit. We drove forty miles north and west 
that first day, and at night, as it began to rain, in- 
stead of pitching the tent, we secured permission to 
sleep in the hay-loft of a two-story frame barn be- 
longing to a Norwegian family—the only barn, save 
174 
