and overland. Besides, that would be a cumbersome
way of hunting. I prefer to tramp about the margin as you see, and just
take what comes in my way. There are plenty of birds, and I seldom walk
far without getting a goodish--hist! There's one!"

As he spoke another large grey goose was seen stretching its long neck
amongst the reeds at a distance of about two hundred yards. The crack
of the rifle was followed by the instant death of the goose. At the
same moment several companions of the bird rose trumpeting into the air
amid a cloud of other birds. Again the rifle's crack was heard, and one
of the geese on the wing dropped beside its comrade.

As Leo carried his repeating rifle, he might easily have shot another,
but he refrained, as the bird would have been too far out to be easily
picked up.

"Now, Benjy, are you to go in, or am I?" asked the sportsman with a sly
look.

"Oh! I suppose _I_ must," said the boy with an affectation of being
martyred, though, in truth, nothing charmed him so much as to act the
part of a water-dog.

A few seconds more, and he was stripped, for his garments consisted only
of shirt and trousers. But it was more than a few seconds before he
returned to land, swimming on his back and trailing a goose by the neck
with each hand, for the reeds were thick and the mud softish, and the
second bird had been further out than he expected.

"It's glorious fun," said Benjy, panting vehemently as he pulled on his
clothes.

"It's gloriously knocked up you'll be before long at that rate," said
the Captain.

"Oh! but, uncle," said Leo, quickly, "you must not suppose that I give
him all the hard work. We share it between us, you know. Benjy
sometimes shoots and then I do the retrieving. You've no idea how good
a shot he is becoming."

"Indeed, let me see you do it, my boy. D'ye see that goose over there?"

"What, the one near the middle of the lake, about four hundred yards
off?"

"Ay, Benjy, I want that goose. You shoot it, my boy."

"But you'll never be able to get it, uncle," said Leo.

"Benjy, I want that goose. You shoot it." There was no disobeying this
peremptory command. Leo handed the rifle to the boy.

"Down on one knee, Ben, Hythe position, my boy," said the Captain, in
the tone of a disciplinarian. Benjy obeyed, took a long steady aim, and
fired.

"Bravo!" shouted the Captain as the bird turned breast up. "There's
that goose's brother comin' to see what's t