70 Idle Days in Patagonia. 



sounds strange, but never shall I forget those 

 delicious early Patagonian breakfasts. 



Now the geese, although abundant at that season, 

 were excessively wary, and hard to kill ; and as no 

 other person went after them, although all grumbled 

 loudly when there was no goose for breakfast, I was 

 always very glad to get a shot at them when oat 

 with the gun. 



One day I saw a great flock congregated on a low 

 mud bank in one of the lagoons, and immediately 

 began to manoeuvre to get within shooting distance 

 without disturbing them. Fortunately they were 

 in a great state of excitement, keeping up a loud 

 incessant clamour, as if something very important 

 to the upland geese was being discussed, and in the 

 general agitation they neglected their safety. More 

 geese in small flocks were continually arriving from 

 various directions, increasing the noise and excite- 

 ment ; and by dint of much going on hands and 

 knees and crawling over rough ground, I managed 

 to get within seventy yards of them and fired into 

 the middle of the flock. The birds rose up with a 

 great rush of wings and noise of screams, leaving 

 five of their number floundering about in the 

 shallow water. Major was quickly after them, but 

 two of the five were not badly wounded, and soon 

 swam away beyond his reach ; to the others he was 

 guided by the tremendous flapping they made in 

 the water in their death struggles ; and one by one 

 he conveyed them, not to his expectant master, but 

 to a small island about a hundred and twenty yards 



