306 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



A moment later there was a splashing and 

 crashing in the water and the whole bay near us 

 was covered with wild geese. At Foster's cry 

 of "Now!" we gave them our first barrels, fol- 

 lowed by the second before they were fairly out of 

 the water. In their confusion the geese were 

 slow about getting away and the six shots from 

 our reloaded weapons must have nearly doubled 

 the count of our victims. It rained geese for a 

 time and when it ceased the water was covered 

 with their bodies, and crippled geese gyrated in 

 the air and fluttered away over the surface of the 

 bay. 



The shooting for the day was over, the 

 boat was brought up, and dead and dying birds 

 were collected. We counted the geese and I 

 would like to state the number of the slain, but 

 all this happened so long ago that I fear the 

 count may have grown in my memory. My best 

 recollection gives figures that so strain my own 

 credulitv that I forbear to name them. 



On my way from the blind on the bay to the 

 house of Foster, near Shinnecock Light, I was 



