258 FEATHERED GAME 



Steadily and cautiously the dangerous little 

 craft has pushed its careful way among the 

 drifting ice cakes and has nearly gained a dis- 

 tance whence the shot may be sent into the 

 flock as yet unnoting our approach, when sud- 

 denly the old gander stretches up his neck and 

 nervously calling to his command sets them all 

 in motion and they paddle swiftly away. If 

 they are not pursued too closely as a rule they 

 think they can outrun their enemy, if enemy it 

 is, and becoming less cautious, do not so easily 

 take alarm next time. Therefore the man at 

 the scull oar slows up — only giving a few turns 

 of his wrist to keep the float's steerage way. 

 Bye and bye, after a half hour of laborious 

 manoeuvring you are almost near enough to 

 shoot. Stealthily the double float slips along — 

 just the top of the sculler's white cap and one 

 eye showing above the low gunwale, the only 

 signs of the pirate crew within. Look out, old 

 gander! Here's trouble for you! 



Perhaps our amateur goose-hunter is not be- 

 ginning to be a little nervous. The only sounds 

 you hear are the low murmur of the ripples be- 

 neath the bows, the gride of small ice cakes 

 alongside, and the muffled monotone of the scull- 



