WATCHING READY AT WORK 67 



the wounded. It was one of the most in- 

 teresting features of the morning's sport to 

 see him coming out of the rushes (it was a 

 rush lake, and shoal) with two ducks at a 

 time. When he captured a wounded bird he 

 always killed it, and was ready for the next 

 one. A wounded bird could not get away 

 from him ; for if it dived, the dog was under 

 too ; and I have often seen him dive when 

 the duck did, and come up with it in his 

 mouth. After he had scoured the lake, I 

 would put him on the shore. Blue-wings, 

 wounded, always land and hide in the woods, 

 so Ready would follow the edge of the shore, 

 and if a duck had landed he was soon found. 

 I stopped six once among the lily-ponds, 

 only one being killed. The five dived and 

 sneaked ashore from the edge of the bed, 

 but I sent Ready into the woods, and he 

 brought me the whole in a very few minutes. 



In some of these excursions to Lewis Lake 

 I have shot so many that it needed three or 

 more trips to the boat to get them all out. 

 This lake was only three-quarters of a mile 

 from the head of the harbour. 



The first winter geese reach the harbour 



