146 



RECREA TION. 



JUST IN FROM THE BLIND. 



These, stopping only long enough to 

 greet the newcomers in the usual goose 

 lashion, and show them where the food 

 lies on the bottom, commence slowly to 

 move off to one side, all the time keep- 

 ing an eye fixed on the blind, as if fear- 

 ing a volley might be fired before they 

 are out of range. Finally, they have 



drawn off as far as their cords will allow. 

 In front are their betrayed comrades, 

 gazing in astonishment at this new move 

 on the part of the decoys. 



The time has come. " Are you ready ? " 

 whispers the captain. No reply, which 

 is equivalent to bk yes." He gives the 

 words, "one, two, three, fire." 



There is a deafening report, then a few 

 straggling shots, followed by a tremen- 

 dous fluttering and squawking outside. 



The sportsmen throw open the door, 

 spring into the water, and as the smoke 

 clears away, if their aim has been true, 

 there is revealed to them the entire flock, 

 or at least a good portion of it, strug- 

 gling, mortally wounded, on the surface 

 of the water. 



Geese are reasonably plentiful in this 

 region, during the fall flight, though not 

 so abundant as formerly. This is not 

 strange when we recall the fact that they 

 are hunted, in season and out of season, 

 by Indians and white hunters, on their 

 breeding ground in the far north, and 

 that even their nests are plundered, 

 year after year, by the hungry red man. 

 If the Canadian government would pro- 

 hibit this robbery and if Americans 

 would abolish spring shooting entirely, 

 the birds would hold their own against 

 legitimate shooters, for the wild goose 

 is a wonderfully prolific breeder, and the 

 loss, from natural causes, is slow. The 

 wild goose, as well as the domestic 

 boarding house variety, lives to a great 

 age, if let alone. 



