1 6 Sporting Sketches 



the space left, one remained alone a huge, thick- 

 necked old gander, with a conspicuous white welt 

 across his left breast. The other geese need not 

 have worried. The trim tubes sought the white 

 cravat not forty yards away and swung truly with 

 it. The gander lurched, half turned, and before he 

 could recover, the hail from the second barrel struck 

 him full broadside. He reached the mud with a 

 " whop ! " which might have been heard for half a 

 mile. 



"Hunk got hunk hunk .'"chuckled the man, 

 as he laid down the gun and started for his prize. 

 Naught cared he for other geese he had got 

 hunk! 



Three hours later, the little woman watching from 

 the doorway sees again the tall figure at the gate. 

 But such a change ! no flying leap and springy 

 stride this time, for in truth he scarce could have 

 hurdled a match. The drawn, sweat-lined face was 

 gray with weariness, yet the eyes still blazed with 

 the spark of a hard-won triumph. 



" Well, your gun's a beaut here's old scar-bel 

 I mean Wa-Wa ! " he grunted, as he suffered the 

 great gray form to fall from his aching shoulder to 

 the piazza. 



" Ugh ! " she gasped in sudden terror, for from 

 the dead throat slipped a hollow croak a wraith 

 of late clarion honking. 



He well knew 'twas merely air driven by the fall 

 through the great windpipe, yet he glanced curiously 

 at the fowl, then started slightly. As the gander lay, 

 the body and neck were in shadow, the head in full 

 sunlight. In that light, the small, dead eye flamed 



