KILL THREE GEESE WITH BALL. 211 



across the flat was awfully bad, as we went nearly 

 up to the knees in the soft, splashy, mossy ground 

 at every step, so we took toward the shore, intend- 

 ing to follow it up until we should find the harbor 

 mentioned by Mr. Wood's letter. The shore was 

 also very bad walking, and after traveling much 

 farther than we had expected, and seeing nothing 

 of the yacht, we began to think there must be some 

 mistake ; and not being in good walking condition 

 after our long confinement in the sloop, we began 

 also to get tired, and to think we should have to 

 pass the night on the shore. We determined not 

 to pass it supperless, at all events, if we could help 

 it ; so, observing a large flock of geese in a sort of 

 creek on the shore, with a ridge of trap rocks on 

 one side of them, we commenced to stalk them, in 

 hopes of getting near enough to kill one with our 

 rifles. When we got behind the rocks we agreed 

 sotto voce that I should fire first ; so, peering over 

 the rocks, I saw the geese all busy guzzling among 

 the mud, and, taking a cool aim, I was lucky 

 enough to send rifle-balls through two of them by 

 a right and left shot ; they were young birds, and 

 were slow in getting on the wing, which enabled 

 Lord David, by a beautiful shot, to knock over a 

 third as they squattered along the surface of the 

 water. (N. B. — Nothing makes a man shoot so 

 well as the fact of his dinner depending on the 

 shot.) We then walked about a mile or so farther, 

 until we found a sheltered corner among the rocks, 



