118 .EEMINISCEXCES OF THE LEWS, 



Soval. I had heard and seen a great deal of 

 young geese in my life, but had never shot 

 young wild-goose flappers ; and, till then, I 

 -had disbelieved in the sport. It requires some 

 arrangement, and lasts about two days, per- 

 haps three. You must here proceed with great 

 caution, for a young wild-goose is not such a 

 fool as he looks, and you must choose the 

 exact time when he can just fly. It is not like 

 flapper shooting, where you have plenty of 

 sedge and cover, and consequently, to a 

 certain extent, the birds lie. It is a species of 

 stalking. 



The loch being very large, I generally took 

 two boats, and we proceeded very cautiously 

 to stalk and spy the loch. Having found the 

 geese, we then sent a party or two to secure 

 the fords of the two or three streams that run 

 into the head of Loch Trialaval from other 

 lochs, for which the geese immediately make 

 on getting sight of your boats. Having allowed 

 time for your parties to get round, you get 

 as near as you can without being seen; and 

 manage, if possible, to do as the Prussians 

 did with the French — outflank your enemy and 

 cut him ofl", or force him towards the fords, 

 when he is headed. If you thus can keep 

 them in the lake, it becomes sometimes a very 



