the hunters to be
much more wary and keep themselves well down in their nests and very
quiet. When they were perfectly still the geese took them for lumps of
snow. This was the reason why there was nothing but white in their
dress. Even the belts they had tied around them were pure white. Soon
the Indians began calling, to bring the geese within range. The rude
decoys were placed as though they were having a glorious time feasting
on the rich goose grass. The calls of the Indians were exact imitations
of the geese calling to their fellows. Sometimes these cries sounded
like "Honk! honk! honk!" Then they seemed to be more like "Uk! uk! uk!"
Then sometimes they were like the calls that the ordinary barnyard
geese make when well satisfied with food. It was interesting to the
boys to notice how quickly a far-away flock caught these sounds.
Marvellously acute was their hearing. Then they acted so differently.
Some were very wary and shy, and at once began to endeavour, as it were,
to climb up higher and higher in the sky. This, however, was a
difficult task just then, as the wind was behind them. When geese, as a
general thing, wish to quickly rise up high in the air, they turn and go
against the wind. In some way or other it speedily seems to lift them
up. Other flocks, as soon as they thought they heard some of their
comrades having such a good time, came right on and were close to the
decoys and nests before they were aware of their blunder. Then the
firing was rapid and destructive. Some of the flocks had dropped down
so low that in order to rise up again they had to circle round and go
back against the wind. Then there was double sport for the hunters.
Often a flock would come in on the left side, and just as it was about
to light among the decoys the guns would ring out and do their deadly
work. The survivors were so low down that they could not go on with any
advantage, and so had to turn sharp to the right and try to get away by
going back against the wind. This movement brought them now on the
right side of the nest, and as they passed more of the guns were fired
and more victims fell dead to the ground.

Such were the positions of the nests in reference to the wind, that Sam
and Memotas had, by all odds, the best place that day. Generally, after
they had fired, the flock broke in two, and Alec and Big Tom got part,
while the other portion generally found Mr Ross and Kinesasis.
However, when a gr