38 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



among them was seeking a wife, or already had 

 sought and been successful in the quest. Judg- 

 ing by what I saw on several occasions, this wife- 

 getting was sometimes a strenuous game ; and a 

 frequent sight over the marsh was that of two 

 showy green-head or pintail drakes cutting and 

 slashing at each other, so to speak, as they pur- 

 sued a sober little duck, that coyly flew straight 

 away, and intimated dreadful untruth that 

 she wanted neither of them. And after all she 

 doubtless married the most insistent fellow. 



Down at the southeast corner of the lake, a 

 small sluggish creek connects the great chain of 

 sloughs with the main water. I waded it bare- 

 footed; and when on the other side, I sat down 

 on a matting of rushes to get the sand off my 

 toes before putting on my shoes, I suddenly 

 noted that I had a visitor. Winging down the 

 creek, just a little higher than the rushes, was a 

 Canada goose, a huge fellow, and I slowly flat- 

 tened down. But he had seen me first; at least 

 he said so in a few deep-toned honks ; and it was 

 very evident that he was coming deliberately to 

 ascertain the nature of my business here. He 

 swerved around me, just about a long gun-shot 

 off, and I could see his black head twisting as he 



