WILD GiEESE. 261 



water. Then commences a scene of excitement, for the 

 wounded attempt to escape by rushing into the bay, sub- 

 merging their heads and bodies as low as possible, and 

 swimming rapidly outward, where they would subse- 

 quently die, unless cajitured, as they could not rise from 

 the water. The wild-fowlers who wear rubber boots ob- 

 ject to parting with them, however, so they dash in after 

 them, and open fire on them or attempt to seize them by 

 the head. They may or may not succeed in killing them, 

 for to shoot a swiftly moving goose, which is almost 

 burled out of sight, is no easy matter. Some may try to 

 capture a bird alive, in order to keej) it as a decoy, and 

 then it is a ludicrous sight to see them rushing through 

 the bay, while the cautious goose swims ahead of them, 

 and almost within reach, until it finally lures them into 

 water so deep that they disapjiear for a moment or two. 

 This mishap is generally greeted with laughter; and if 

 the bird has its beak open, and looks rather pumped, 

 some cautious member of the party shouts: 



''Look out; she has her mouth open as if she were 

 going to bite you. Kick her in the snoot if she attempts 

 it. Don't stand any fooling from her, or we'll never 

 see you again." 



The wild-fowler, who is trembling from the ducking 

 in the icy water, may receive this advice in silence, and 

 allow somebody else to kill the vagrant, or he may blurt 

 out something about going to heaven (?) and shutting 

 up. When he reaches the shore he is likely to be ad- 

 monished about the use of such terrible language, but a 

 charitable individual may come to his aid, and say that 

 he only uses "cuss words on goose days," and is not 

 morally responsible for his actions on such occasions. He 

 is then probably forgiven in a mock serious and doleful 

 manner, and recommended to go to the nearest house 

 and dry himself, so that he may obtain a faint idea of his 

 future abode — a piece of advice which is generally taken. 



