I20 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



trouble was not likely to be rewarded, I resolved to stick to 

 my likely-looking field, and pay an occasional visit to it. I 

 also had directed one of the keepers to watch the stubble in 

 question, and should geese visit it to let me know imme- 

 diately. After a few fruitless morning waits in the early part 

 of November I began to think my much-prospected ground 

 was going to prove a failure. At all events I got tired of 

 tramping about and seeing nothing, so I ceased to visit the 

 place, and determined that unless I heard from the keeper I 

 would not go again. On November i8 I received word that a 

 flock of about thirty geese had that day been seen on the 

 stubble. 



The next morning at daybreak I was at my stand in waiting. 

 About sunrise I heard the distant gaggling and the clear 

 "honk-honk" of geese coming from the direction of the 

 Humber. The sounds were unmistakable. After a lapse 

 of many seconds I saw the birds coming at a great height. 

 They flew overhead as though not intending to stop anywhere 

 near me. Suddenly they wheeled, and, with such descending 

 evolutions of flight which only geese can perform, they were 

 soon within gunshot of the earth, and returning towards me 

 head to wind. They came splendidly. I allowed them to get 

 well within what I gauged as thirty yards, and then with the 

 lo-bore I smartly killed a right and left. Both lay motionless. 

 There were about a dozen birds in the flock. As the others 

 rose at the lo-bore reports, I snatched up the 8-bore and gave 

 one a departing shot. This did not bring him down at the 

 time, but he only reached the hedge, where he fell dead. I had 

 learned from previous experience never to follow birds when 

 a flight had commenced, so I left my third goose to be 

 gathered later. I had just got ready again when another 

 flock could be heard approaching. The day had become quite 

 light, and I could see the geese approaching when a mile off". 

 This lot numbered about thirty, and were probably the same 



