i * Goose-shooting 207 



some watchful decoy and successive honks from 

 a few others, as their attention is roused to the 

 possibility of callers. Very often all this before 

 a sound has been heard or a bird seen ; but soon 

 a far-off honk makes it evident there are sharper 

 eyes than a gunner's. What the man with the 

 gun wants to do now is to keep his stomach 

 pretty close to the ground, stay very insignificant- 

 like in his box, and trust his business in the hands 

 of others; they attend to it well. Excitement 

 prevails outside and the distant honks grow 

 nearer; they are coming right along, now with 

 long, low groans of satisfaction at the thought of 

 companions and a rest. What sort of sensations 

 the man in the box has been having only he 

 knows who has been there. To most men under 

 these circumstances desire gets the better of dis- 

 cretion, and sooner or later it becomes irresistible. 

 He just raises his eyes over the edge, and in this 

 particular instance sees six geese, too near for 

 comfort. Close together, the poor frightened 

 things get closer, and at the shot two thump the 

 ground pretty hard; the second barrel winds up 

 matters for a third ; the other three have changed 

 their mind about friendly geese and are striking 

 out for Florida. The decoys are happy ; it is the 

 old story of misery loves company. Things don't 

 always connect in just this kind of a way. 



Geese, though a good big mark, can be missed, 



