ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 91 



he was placed in the bag. With universal consent 

 we agreed to retrace our steps, and before we reached 

 the conveyance, five more grouse had shared the fate 

 of their fellows. On arriving at the scene of our 

 trencher performances at noon-day, we observed 

 several flocks of duck hovering over a portion of a 

 corn-field in the vicinity, and as the day had still an 

 hour or two before dark, we concluded to try our luck. 

 Cartridges with No. 5 shot were soon substituted for 

 the balance we had left in our pockets, and scattering 

 each in the direction which the bent of his fancy dic- 

 tated, we sought the friendly cover of the giant corn- 

 stalks. Progressing slowly and cautiously, prepared 

 for aught that chance should throw in my way, on 

 casting my eyes to the left, I perceived I was near the 

 edge of a small sheet of water, the margin of which 

 was densely covered with water-lilies. Here, no doubt, 

 was the sanctum of the web-footed gentry ; so doubling 

 my back almost in two, and gliding along as carefully 

 as if about to circumvent a buck, I reached the line 

 of demarcation between the grain and the aquatic 

 plants. 



Slowly raising my head, the first animate object that 

 struck my vision was the looming, dark figure of a 

 goose, his head under water, carelessly feeding, as if he 

 were perfectly satisfied that his retirement was free from 



