BUFFALO AND DUCK SHOOTING 305 



"Good shot!" exclaimed Foster as the bird 

 sailed with stiffened wings, straight as a grouse 

 that is shot through the heart, striking the water 

 more than a hundred yards from us. Ducks and 

 brant now came fast, singly, in little bunches, 

 and in flocks. Often my gun was hot to the 

 touch, while the water was covered with our vic- 

 tims. From time to time Foster waded out, on 

 retriever duty, as far as his long rubber boots 

 would permit. 



It was late when there came from the wing- 

 tipped wild goose loud cries of "Honk! Honk!" 

 and from Foster the call, "Lie low! Lie low!" 



Far away in the sky I could see a great white 

 harrow. Nearer and nearer it came, until it 

 seemed to fill the air, while our decoy goose con- 

 tinued its cry. Then the leader of the army of 

 geese, curving downward and to one side, came 

 straight toward us. The whole surrounding at- 

 mosphere was filled with geese and I feared being 

 smashed and smothered by the mass of them. I 

 was lifting my gun in self defence when I was 

 checked by Foster's, — "Not yet! Not yet!" 



