Wild-Geese on the Sand-hills 129 



a wounded goose, when a strange sound behind attracted his 

 attention. On looking round, a fox was seen to have sprung 

 upon one of the tin geese I That a fox, with his keen intuition 

 and knowledge of things, should have considered it worth his 

 while to stalk wild-geese (even of flesh and blood) on that naked 

 expanse seems incredible. The fact remains that he did it ! 



Strange indeed are the sensations evoked l)y that silent watch 

 before day-dawn, in expectation of what truly appears incredible ! 

 Buried virtually in a desert of sand the fowler has nothing in 

 sight beyond the dark dunes and a star-spangled sky overhead. 



A C 



WILD-GEESE ALIGHTING ON THE SAND-HILLS 



For his hide is cunningly hidden in a slight depression with a 

 hano-ino; buttress on two sides. 



Several hundred yards away, concealed under stunted pines, 

 stand our horses, while the men cower round a small fire, for we 

 have had a biting cold two-hours' ride, and freezing to boot. 

 Half-a-mile away on the other side — the east — begins the 

 marisma, though hidden from view by the waves of rolling sand 

 that intervene. 



Now a faint glint of light gleams on the tin decoys and 

 foretells the comiug dawn. Five more minutes elapse, and 

 then . . . that low deep-toned anserine call-note, instinct with 



