THE CANADA GOOSE. 
191 
more especially because the appearance of any other bird which I wished 
to obtain would at once induce me to go after it, and thus frighten the game, 
so that I rarely procured any on such occasions. But yet, as I have wit- 
nessed the killing of many a fine Goose, I hope you will suffer me to relate 
one or two anecdotes connected with the shooting of this kind of game. 
Reader, I am well acquainted with one of the best sportsmen now living 
in the whole of the western country, one possessed of strength, activity, 
courage, and patience, — qualities of great importance in a gunner. I have 
frequently seen him mount a capital horse of speed and bottom at midnight, 
when the mercury in the thermometer was about the freezing point, and the 
ground was covered with snow and ice, the latter of which so encased the 
trees that you might imagine them converted into glass. Well, off he goes at 
a round gallop, his steed rough shod, but nobody knows whither, save myself, 
who am always by his side. He has a wallet containing our breakfast, and 
abundance of ammunition, together with such implements as are necessary 
on occasions like the present. The night is pitch-dark, and dismal enough ; 
but who cares! He knows the woods as well as any Kentucky hunter, 
and in this respect I am not much behind him. A long interval has passed, 
and now the first glimpse of day appears in the east. We know quite well 
where we are, and that we have travelled just twenty miles. The Barred 
Owl alone interrupts the melancholy silence of the hour. Our horses we 
secure, and on foot we move cautiously towards a “ long pond / 7 the feeding- 
place of several flocks of Geese, none of which have yet arrived, although 
the whole surface of open water is covered with Mallards, Widgeons, Pin- 
tail Ducks, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals. My friend’s gun, like 
mine, is a long and trusty one, and the opportunity is too tempting. On all 
fours we cautiously creep to the very edge of the pond ; we now raise our- 
selves on our knees, level our pieces, and let fly. The woods resound with 
repeated echoes, the air is filled with Ducks of all sorts, our dogs dash into 
the half frozen water, and in a few minutes a small heap of game lies at our 
feet. Now, we retire, separate, and betake ourselves to different sides of the 
pond. If I may judge of my companion’s fingers by the state of my own, 
I may feel certain that it would be difficult for him to fasten a button. 
There we are shivering, with contracted feet and chattering teeth ; but the 
Geese are coming, and their well known cry, hauk , hau/c, awhawk, awhawk, 
resounds through the air. They wheel and wheel for awhile, but at length 
gracefully alight on the water, and now they play and wash themselves, and 
begin to look about for food. There must be at least twenty of them. 
Twenty more soon arrive, and in less than half an hour we have before us 
a flock of a hundred individuals. My experienced friend has put a snow- 
white shirt over his apparel, and although I am greatly intent on observing 
