368 SHOOTING BRENT GEESE 



to weather almost any thing, rather than trust them- 

 selves there at night; except when they are very 

 short of food. If therefore you have water over the 

 mud for your punt, you may often make a tolerable 

 shot by setting, or sailing, even in mild weather, par- 

 ticularly when the tide has kept up high, and the 

 geese, having become hungry, are just getting their 

 legs, at the first ebb ; and still more so if this happens 

 towards sunset, when they feed greedily previous to 

 leaving the harbour for the night. 



In mild weather prefer following a small flock to 

 a large one. Recollect, the more pairs of eyes , the 

 wilder the birds. A single goose is termed a 

 "pricked" bird; that is, turned out of his com- 

 pany, for having a slight wound, which is invariably 

 the case. 



Taking it for granted that my young reader now 

 understands me, as to presenting the gun, I have 

 only to give a few directions on the last, though not 

 the least, thing, to be observed ; his getting the geese 

 which he may have shot. They take such a hard 

 blow, that he will, generally, find the greater part of 

 them, that are stopped by the shot, well enough to 

 swim and dive with the greatest agility, and they will 

 all invariably make for the heaviest sea that is near. 

 The boat, which follows, therefore, should always 

 keep well on the outside of the birds ; and, if armed 

 with some " cripple stoppers" (old muskets, or any 

 small arms), so much the better ; as while you are 

 rowing after one goose, the others may all get off to 



