96 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
‘“““That’s a mighty good thing too,’ says I as I walked 
away. When I got off half a gun shot, I just felt some- 
body was looking at me. Turning round I saw that 
card chap watching me with a big grin on his face. 
What do you suppose he was laughing at ?— 
“Look out beyond the decoys,’’ whispered Jimmy. 
I had been so interested in Jimmy’s story that I had 
nearly forgotten our shooting—but I looked. There 
stood a big tall Hutchins brant, a miniature of the Can- 
ada goose,—he looked big and tall to me anyway,—just 
outside the farthest decoys. He was looking suspi- 
ciously at the blind with his head stuck up in the air as 
high as it could reach. As I stood up the brant rose, 
darting upwards like a teal. 
“Shoot at its head!’’ yelled Jimmy, ‘‘you only have 
number seven shot.’’ I shot four feet ahead of its 
bill and heard the shot rattle against his body, then I 
aimed six feet ahead. The brant started on a long down- 
ward slide and fell a hundred yardsaway. Jimmy went 
out and picked him up. 
‘“He counts as one goose,” said Jimmy, ‘‘but he’s 
pretty thin. Guess he was acripple. I never knew a 
good healthy goose to act that way before.”’ 
‘“‘Well,’’ said I after the goose was placed safely be- 
hind the blind, ‘‘that’s one more goose than I expected 
to shoot to-day. Where do you suppose he came from, 
Jimmy?” 
‘‘From outdoors somewhere. That goose surely was 
a mysterious beggar to come poking in here that way 
and nobody either saw or heard him coming.”’ 
‘““Well,”’ said I, “‘he came and now he’s going to stay. 
How did you enjoy the circus?”’ 
‘The finest ever,”’ said Jimmy; ‘‘the big tent had just 
opened for the show and I thought I had better go in, 
