186 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 



feet uppermost in the air, from which pose he could 

 not recover himself in time to give them the second 

 barrel. The birds then rose high, but luckily came 

 straight over me. I had treble A shot in the right 

 barrel of my twelve-bore, which was discharged ineffec- 

 tually ; then followed the second barrel, loaded with 

 sixteen pellets of S.S.G., when out of the clouds came 

 with a rushing sound a great goose, to fall with a noisy 

 thud on the frozen grass some seventy yards behind 

 me. It was indeed a pity Pigot had discarded his 

 twelve-bore in favour of the big gun, for, as he is far 

 above an average shot, he must have got a brace. 



This was the first white-fronted goose I had ever 

 shot, so, having read they were "the ortolans of the 

 goose tribe " and considered great delicacies, I sent it 

 to the late George Bonnor, who delighted in giving 

 his intimates good things, and who also knew no more 

 about white-fronted geese than I did ; therefore, a few 

 rather particular friends were invited to meet this 

 goose when cooked, while loudly Bonnor sang its 

 praises as it was being carved. He and I got helped 



