CANADA GOOSE-SUOOTING. 299 



■put a little hay under the blanket for a pillow, set 

 out our decoys, laid oui'selves down, carefully sprinkled 

 a little hay and a few stalks over us, and thanking St. 

 Hubert (the sainted huntsman) that our corporosity 

 was not Sancho Panzan", patiently waited the result of 

 ■our experiment. 



We did not wait long. A wandering goose, alone, 

 a prodigal, returned, answered our call, and coming over 

 us at a height of fully 60 yards, was shot dead. After 

 being hit it came down straight for our blind, like a 

 •chunk of lead. We sprung quickly out, involuntarily 

 admitting its right of possession. Down it came, a gray 

 streak. 1 dodged, and it struck the ground with ter- 

 rific force, not three feet from me. Had that goose 

 struck me, it would have fallen on George to have perr 

 formed the unpleasant duty of telling just how I had 

 "been killed. We afterwards learned it weighed a trifle 

 -over 12 lbs. We were now. satisfied our blind was a 

 success, and expected fun throughout the afternoon, 

 ^nd we were not disappointed. A flock returning from 

 the river, away up, headed for us. We " honked," but 

 no reply ; again we tried, still no answer. " I'm afraid 

 they will pass us,'' said George. Just then a coarse 

 " Ali-unk" vibrated in the air, and we knew that set- 

 tled it, that they would come down. For a moment 

 all was still except our soliciting cries ; then " Ah-unk, 

 Ah-unk, " they answered in quick succession. From 

 their great height they started, each trying to get ahead 

 of the other. They came down almost perpendicularly, 

 with a swift, waiving, swinging flight, apparently al- 

 lowing their weight to sink them and only using their 

 wings to steady themselves, giving a peculiar lateral 

 jnotion, swerving their bodies first one side, then the 



