WILD GEESE AT LAST. 123 



with its legs, wings, and neck stuck out in every 

 direction but that they ought to have been in. 

 Among the game killed mallard preponderated, then 

 came sprigtails, and lastly common teal. When a 

 gun heated I changed it, and so the sport went on 

 till my stock of cartridges had most visibly lessened. 

 Still, to my surprise, not a goose had put in appear- 

 ance, and I commenced to recognize that the end was 

 near at hand, for I was transferring the last dozen 

 rounds from my bag to my pockets, when t( honk ! 

 honk ! honk ! " fell upon my ear. Here they come 

 at last, and I will keep these for their benefit. But 

 the geese did not put themselves within range till I 

 had waited over half an hour for them. The duck 

 seemed to know my resolve, so, presuming upon 

 the situation, swished past me at express speed, 

 not unfrequently so close as to be touchable with a 

 moderate-sized fish pole. The temptation did not 

 break my resolution, and at length I got my reward. 

 Two or three small squads of geese (Anser Canadensis] 

 arrived ; they were evidently prospecting for the 

 information of the main body, so I desisted firing wild 

 shots at them. To my disgust they wheeled, and 

 seemed resolved on seeking other feeding grounds ; 

 but not so, for soon after the air resounded with 

 their sonorous and melodious call, and not hundreds, 

 but thousands of those handsome birds were seen 

 making head for my screen, or its environs, each 

 bunch being composed of from five to a dozen 

 members. 



I suppose the skirmishers who had been sent in 

 advance to examine the country reported the field 

 free from danger, for on came the various flights 

 without halt or even hesitation. They were truly a 

 grand and goodly sight, such as the sportsman could 

 not behold but with the greatest satisfaction. Let 

 me describe the best known wild goose (Anser 

 Canadensis] upon the North American continent. 



