f the rushes
had sprung a large, curly-coated, brown retriever. With a yelp of
excitement he had dashed into the water and dragged ashore the body
of the dead bird. Now the hunter, standing up and stretching his legs
as if cramped from a long lying-in-wait, started on a sharp run down
the wet shore of the pond, whistling the retriever after him. He had
noted the splendid stature of the wounded bird, and wanted to capture
him alive.

Not without cause had the great gander achieved the leadership of the
flock, for he possessed not only strength but intelligence. When he
saw that his trailing wing so hampered his swimming that he would
presently be overtaken, he turned and darted into the sedges of the
opposite shore, trusting to the difficulties of the swamp to protect
him. He did not know that the big brown retriever was almost
amphibious, and more cunning than himself.

The hunter stopped, and pointed to the spot of waving reeds where the
bird had disappeared.

"Fetch him, Pete!" he commanded,--"But gently, boy, ge-e-ently!" And
the wise old dog understood, either from the words or from the tone in
which they were uttered, that this was to be a bloodless capture.
Barking joyously, he tore around the pond to the place where the
gander had vanished, and dashed splashing into the reeds. A few
seconds later a tumult arose, the reeds were beaten down, and the dog
reappeared, dragging his prize by the uninjured wing.

The great bird, powerful and dauntless, made a gallant fight; but he
was hopelessly handicapped. His most formidable weapons were the bony
elbows of his strong, untiring wings; and of both these he was now
deprived, one wing being shattered, and the other in the grip of the
enemy's jaws. He struck and bit and worried with his hard bill; but
the dog, half-shutting his eyes, took the mauling grimly and dragged
his troublesome captive into the water.

Here, however, he made a mistake. The great bird was a mighty swimmer,
and indomitable; and in half a minute his captor was glad to drag him
to land again. Then the hunter arrived on the scene; and the dog,
gladly relinquishing so unmanageable a prisoner, sat back on his
haunches, with tongue hanging out, to see what his master would do.
The dauntless gander bit furiously, and pounded with his one undamaged
wing, and earned his adversary's unstinted commendation: but in a
minute or two he found himself helpless, swathed like a cocoon in a
stout, woollen hunting