40 " UNACCOUNTABLES " AND OTHER SHOTS 



above, no one must imagine that I aimed for the 

 bird's eye, for hitting it anywhere at that range 

 would have been a creditable shot. It was simply 

 an " unaccountable." 



What I consider as the most extraordinary 

 shot that I ever saw, was made by Francis Labrie, 

 a fisherman and hunter of this locality. The 

 rifle used was a Winchester Express of 50 cal., 

 with hollow pointed bullets, the shells loaded by 

 himself, and as he had no copper tubes to fill the 

 hollow points, he had filled these with common 

 tallow. 1 give these details, as they may have 

 been responsible to some extent for the peculiar 

 shot. 



There were two loons, (Great Northern divers) 

 sitting on the water some distance off shore. 

 Labrie was decoying them in by calling and wav- 

 ing a white rag. No amount of coaxing, how- 

 ever, could bring them in closer than about one 

 hundred yards. One of them turned and began 

 swimming out until it was separated about fif- 

 teen or twenty yards seawards, and half that 

 distance to the right. Labrie was near the water's 

 edge, and seeing that he could not get them closer, 

 fired at the nearest one. I was standing near by 

 watching him. The shot was too low, the bullet 

 striking the water four or five yards from the 

 loon, richotted and struck the first loon on the 

 head, was deviated to the right and cut the neck 

 of the second loon. A most wonderful co'mbina- 



