6 Sporting Sketches 



waddled off, hissing until he found a couple of the 

 toughest old ganders on the grounds. 



When next he led his followers to the little lake, 

 he changed his tactics. All pitched in the open 

 lake, and after they had " washed-up " and become 

 eager for young wheat, Wa-Wa ordered them to 

 stop where they were, while he flew in to spy out 

 the land. They were somewhat astonished, but no 

 goose ever disobeys; so they waited, wondering 

 what new wrinkle was bothering their wise old 

 leader. 



Wa-Wa flew slowly in, keeping one hundred 

 yards above the wet fields and carefully scanning 

 every yard of possible cover. The sun was just 

 rising, and the first ray to touch the ambush of the 

 last year waked a flare of red and a dazzling white 

 flash. Wa-Wa well knew that a human face in such 

 light shows very red, and that a gun-barrel flashes 

 white. A few seconds later he almost screamed 

 with rage, for there lay his foe eyes, hair, long 

 figure, and all. Slowly and steadily Wa-Wa drifted 

 in, till he saw his foe spring to his knees. Then 

 Wa-Wa climbed straight up, as he well knew how 

 to do. A double report sounded dully from below, 

 but nothing happened. " He can shoot twice now," 

 thought Wa-Wa, as he swung wide. Then he 

 shouted as loudly as he could, "Hunk! get 

 hunk hunk / " and bore away to his friends, whom 

 he led to a point some three hundred yards from 

 the danger zone. Telling a trusty young gander to 

 keep a keen watch upon the skulker, Wa-Wa hastily 

 fed, then relieved his sentry. Slim-necked, erect, 

 and tall, he stood, his small, angry eyes never shift- 



