CANADA GOOSE-SHOOTING. 291 



The flight begins about sundown, and they keep com- 

 ing in until dark, and long after dark, but there is 

 never any doubt of their coming, for they are as regu- 

 lar in their coming and going as the day itself. 



On moonlight nights, they frequently delay their ar- 

 rival till after the sun has set, and twilight disappeared, 

 flying in in great, discordant, honking flocks. The air is 

 alive with dim forms, shown sufficientlj'' plain by the 

 moon's soft light, to afford fair aim to the shooter. 

 The hoarse " Ah-unk, Ah-unk," of the Canadas ; 

 the " Ah-ul, Ah-ul " of the Hutchin's geese, the shrill 

 cry of the brant, the chattering of the snow-geese, — 

 all uttered at the same time, makes a babel of voices 

 absolutely deafening. The snowy-white of the laugh- 

 ing goose, the larger brant, the still larger Hutchin's 

 goose, circle around the hunter, but he pays no atten- 

 tion to them ; for another kind he bides his time. 



" The rising moon has hid the stars 

 Her level rays like golden bars 

 liieou the landscape green, 

 With shadows brown between. 

 And silv.er-white the river gleams 

 As if Diana, in her dreams. 

 Had dropped her silver bow." 



Facing the moon he sees great phantom forms dim- 

 ly by her light, and as these shadows pass before her 

 bright face, he rises and hastily fires — the darkness, 

 the smoke, prohibit his seeing anything. For an in- 

 stant, blinded as he is by the streak of fire that leaps 

 from his gun, he listens. Thump ! Thump ! he hears 

 on the sand ; then a swish on the water. He knows two 

 have fallen on the ground, and a third in the water. 

 He runs and hastily picks them off the sand-bar, but 



