274 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



Then, after that, the sky soon becomes mottled with flying 

 birds of many kinds : gray geese, laughing geese, waveys, and 

 white geese, as well as great flocks of ducks of many kinds; 

 also mud-hens, sawbills, waders, plovers, curlew, pelicans, 

 swans, and cranes, both white and gray. Then another great 

 flight of little birds as well as loons. And last of all may come 

 the little husky geese that travel farther north to breed their 

 young than do those of any other kind." 



The next day the hunters built a " goose stand " on the sandy 

 beach of Willow Point by making a screen about six feet long 

 by three feet high of willow branches; and, as the ground was 

 wet and cold, a brush mattress was laid behind the screen upon 

 which the hunters could sit while watching for geese. The 

 site was a good one, as Willow Point jutted into the lake near a 

 big marsh on its south side. Beyond the screen they set their 

 decoys, some in the water and others on the sand, but all 

 heading up wind. When they shot their first geese, the 

 hunters cut off the wings and necks together with the heads 

 and fastened them in a natural way upon the decoys. 



Oo-koo-hoo told me that when one wished to secure geese, 

 he should be in readiness to take his position behind the stand 

 before the first sign of morning sun. Furthermore, he told 

 me that geese were usually looking for open water and sandy 

 beaches from eight to nine o'clock; from ten to twelve they 

 preferred the marshes in order to feed upon goose grass and 

 goose weed, as well as upon the roots and seeds of other 

 aquatic plants. Then from noon to four o'clock they sought the 

 lakes to preen themselves ; while from four to six they returned 

 to the sandy beaches and then resorted to the marshes in which 

 to spend the night. That was the usual procedure for from 

 ten to fifteen days, then away they went to their more northern 

 breeding grounds where they spent midsummer. 



Seeing a hawk soaring overhead, Oo-koo-hoo said it reminded 

 him of a hawk that once bothered him by repeatedly swooping 



