254 FEATHERED GAME 



one, when he goes home the tried companion of 

 a hundred pleasant shooting trips comes out 

 from its dusty case, is tenderly balanced in his 

 hands, thrown to his shoulder and aimed at an 

 imaginary goose, then carefully inspected and 

 thoroughly cleaned, though there is no need of 

 it, and at last reluctantly put away again. Per- 

 haps the poor fellow cannot break away from 

 his toil, but he will think and plan for the fu- 

 ture and in his dreams live over again his 

 merry days by field and marsh or on blue wa- 

 ters. Mayhap he hears the ripples chuckling 

 under the bows of his float with a merry spring- 

 time melody as he forces his small craft over the 

 gentle swells in pursuit of some unsuspecting 

 flock. Will he score one of them ? Of course ! 

 For there are no ^' blank days" in the ''happy 

 hunting grounds" of our dreams, and so he is 

 happier for the mere sight of that flying phalanx 

 of ' ' honkers, ' ' and the memories which they re- 

 call of deeds performed at crack o' day with 

 sculling oar and goose gun. 



Far away in the lagoons of the south the win- 

 ter months have been spent, and now a few 

 days, genial and bright with the promise of 

 spring, have filled the old gander's whole being 



