266 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



1 2-bore gun. They must have been 70 yards away, but 

 I singled out a fine goose for the first barrel, and as 

 this had little effect, a second shot followed. Still the 

 goose went on, but only for a few yards, when it com- 

 menced to tower in precisely similar manner to a 

 partridge, and after mounting in the air for some little 

 distance, finally fell dead as a door-nail. The succeed- 

 ing four or five hours were spent in pursuit of plover, 

 taking between times, as opportunity offered, an occa- 

 sional shot at partridge or hare. We had given up all 

 thought of the geese, for the survivors had flown, 

 apparently, many miles. Our surprise was great, there- 

 fore, as we were proceeding, about four o'clock, to take 

 up our stand for the coming duck flight, to discover 

 five geese sailing along at no great height from the 

 ground, and, finally, to see them settle in a field about 

 half-a-mile away. We were indeed in luck's way that 

 day, for these fine birds had alighted within 20 yards 

 of a deep ditch, and in this remarkably accessible 

 situation I was successful in stalking, and still more 

 successful in shooting them, for on rising from the 

 ground they were so well disposed for the first shot 

 that three fell immediately to it, whilst with the second 

 barrel another goose was secured. Our luck, good as 

 it was, did not end here, for the sole surviving goose 

 was so dazed and unstrung by the loss of his com- 

 panions, that he actually alighted in an adjoining fallow, 

 where, by carefully stalking under cover of the ditch 

 and through water about 2 ft. deep, I managed to secure 

 the sixth bird also. 



The herd of pink-footed geese visiting East Yorkshire 

 varies greatly in point of numbers, season by season ; 

 at one period thousands may be found in the locality, 



