132 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



load a mile and a quarter was by no means 

 an enticing one, yet it had to be done. 

 Before it was lifted to my shoulders a whistle 

 startled me. Turning to ascertain the cause 

 of it, I saw Harry coming laden with a basket 

 of lunch for his supposed half-starved com- 

 panion. This would have been most accept- 

 able, had not my English friend been ahead 

 of him. I assured him, however, that he had 

 come at a most opportune time, and his 

 thoughtfulness was fully appreciated. To 

 prove this and my thorough unselfishness, he 

 was allowed to carry the heaviest half of my 

 load all the way to the house. On the road 

 there he informed me he had been visited 

 that afternoon by a neighbour two miles away, 

 who came especially to tell us that a large 

 body of geese were feeding on his 320-acre 

 wheat-stubble field, and we might get a 

 chance at them in the evening, as there was 

 nothing to disturb them. Had such informa- 

 tion come to us three days before, it would 

 have greatly excited me, but hunting, creep- 

 ing, walking, running, crouching, rowing, 

 paddling, wading, tumbling, and all the other 

 " -ings " concomitant of a sporting trip, to say 



