222 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



in up wind to us, these sixty or seventy laughers 

 swept by quite as though we were not there, and 

 giggled and tittered mirthfully as they passed 

 away to the northward. We missed that joke. 

 Another large flock followed them in five min- 

 utes and rehearsed the same capers as exactly as 

 if they had seen the previous performance. Then 

 we all said fitting things and got up and looked 

 around. There wasn't a red box of shells pro- 

 truding anywhere, nor an overcoat lying on the 

 ground ; the rig and horses were not in the way ; 

 and the pits passed rigid inspection all right ; so 

 there was nothing to do but wait for another 

 flock of geese not so well informed. 



The next comers appeared to be what we were 

 waiting for. They took the same course at first, 

 but when three hundred yards down wind, they 

 turned slowly into the breeze and lowered per- 

 ceptibly as they worked up toward us. 



" They look good! " whispered Andy. 



" Say when," I replied. 



Nearer and nearer they loomed up, their shrill 

 voices now sounding plainly and so different 

 from the trumpet notes of the black-necked 

 grays, their quick wing strokes reduced almost to 

 a half soar, up, up till their yellow out-thrust 



