120 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
trouble was not likely to be rewarded, I resolved to stick to 
my likely-looking field, and pay an occasional visit to it. I 
also had directed one of the keepers to watch the stubble in 
question, and should geese visit it to let me know imme- 
diately. After a few fruitless morning waits in the early part 
of November I began to think my much-prospected ground 
was going to prove a failure. At all events I got tired of 
tramping about and seeing nothing, so I ceased to visit the 
place, and determined that unless I heard from the keeper I 
would not go again. On November 18 I received word that a 
flock of about thirty geese had that day been seen on the 
stubble. 
The next morning at daybreak I was at my stand in waiting. 
About sunrise I heard the distant gaggling and the clear 
“‘honk-honk” of geese coming from the direction of the 
Humber. The sounds were unmistakable. After a lapse 
of many seconds I saw the birds coming at a great height. 
They flew overhead as though not intending to stop anywhere 
near me. Suddenly they wheeled, and, with such descending 
evolutions of flight which only geese can perform, they were 
soon within gunshot of the earth, and returning towards me 
head to wind. They came splendidly. I allowed them to get 
well within what I gauged as thirty yards, and then with the 
1o-bore I smartly killed a right and left. Both lay motionless. 
There were about a dozen birds in the flock. As the others 
rose at the 1o-bore reports, I snatched up the 8-bore and ‘gave 
One a departing shot. This did not bring him down at the 
time, but he only reached the hedge, where he fell dead. I had 
learned from previous experience never to follow birds when 
a flight had commenced, so I left my third goose to be 
gathered later. I had just got ready again when another 
flock could be heard approaching. The day had become quite 
light, and I could see the geese approaching when a mile off. 
This lot numbered about thirty, and were probably the same 
ween 
