116 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
other. There was no use in shooting. They were too 
high for any shot to reach them but it was a wonderful 
sight to see them pass, their white bodies gleaming in 
the sun, while their black-tipped wings framed the pic- 
ture of each individual bird. 
“Those geese came in from the North a week ago,’’ 
said Jimmy, ‘‘and about one o’clock every day they 
fly in here after feeding somewhere east and settle down 
half a mile west of Slaughter Island.”” As Jimmy spoke 
we could see the geese circling and lowering over the 
distant marsh, where Jimmy said they were accustomed 
to alight to rest and sleep away the afternoon. Then 
amidst a great racket the geese began to alight in 
bunches. When half were down, the rest rose again in 
the air and circled once more. Evidently satisfied 
that all was well they came back again and flying 
downward on a long slant alighted with the others. 
“‘There’s not much use staying here,’’ said Jimmy, 
“‘let’s get the boat and give those geese a try; maybe 
we can get some.’”’ 
‘“‘All right,’’ I said, ‘‘get the boat and we'll try it 
anyway.” 
Jimmy splashed off and soon returned with the boat. 
It took only a few moments to pick up our ducks and 
put everything on board and then we started for Slaugh- 
ter Island. Rounding the island we made good head- 
way until we reached the middle of First Teal Pass, a 
rather wide and deep creek, west of the island. Here 
we hid the boat and each taking a box of number three 
shot shells we walked a hundred yards until on the 
border of a wide shallow creek, called Second Teal Pass, 
we made a low blind in the tules. 
All was quiet for halfan hour. A few teal flew by but 
we did not dare fire at them on account of the geese. 
