130 WILDFOWL SHOOTING IN THE WESTERN STATES. 





s ! 





Duck were very numerous, but wild, so that little 

 could be done with them except at morning and 

 evening flight times, and soon the birds commenced 

 to get so knowing that even this brief occupation 

 got slow. Measuring land, marking out boundaries, 

 and inspecting title deeds can be made to cover a lot 

 of time by a lawyer, when there are fees attached to 

 the process. Thus it was that I felt assured that two 

 weeks at least would elapse before my friend would 

 be disposed to retake to the road. 



Well, we did a great deal of driving about the 

 country that the legal luminary might get conversant 

 with all the details necessary for him to learn, and 

 a brace of double guns and a retriever always accom- 

 panied us. Wherever "bob- whites" and prairie-fowl 

 were found most numerous, there my chum was 

 certain to discover indisputable evidence that coal- 

 oil existed — in more or less quantities, and such a 

 valuable find invariably entailed a second visit. But 

 better than undefined prospects was a reality that 

 presented itself, namely, that wild geese were more 

 than usually abundant in the locality ; but the birds 

 were as wild as hawks, and defied our getting within 

 shooting distance of them, in spite of the display of 

 such an amount of able tactics as would have certainly 

 led an army to victory. Even the poor old horse 

 that drew our waggon showed evidence of weari- 

 ness, neglect, and disappointed ambition, and finally 

 almost refused to get up a trot even when the road 

 was good, and a less unfortunate animal passed 

 him. 



" It is a long lane that has no turning " we at length 

 found to be a true saying. Passing a most disrepu- 

 table farmhouse, we observed three wild geese tied to 

 stakes a short distance in front of the door. They were 

 certainly a sight to be rejoiced at, if judgment could 

 be formed from the expression of my companion's 

 countenance. " I have got it ! " he exclaimed ; 



