d every night.
Accompanied by two of the Ostjaks they started late in the evening for
the spot. When they came near the marsh they could hear a low chattering
noise as the birds fed on the aquatic grasses. Sometimes they heard
cries in the air, answered by calls from the feeding birds, and followed
speedily by a great rustling of wings as fresh flocks alighted.

Godfrey and Luka had brought with them some fox-skins and sat wrapped up
in them, but in spite of that they felt the cold as they waited hour
after hour. Godfrey dozed off several times, and at last slept for three
or four hours. He was awakened by a touch from Luka, and a low warning
to keep silence. The morning was breaking. He found that the Ostjaks had
built a sort of shelter of bushes, which had the effect of breaking the
force of the north wind and of hiding them from the water-fowl. Raising
his head cautiously he saw before him a sheet of shallow water; this was
absolutely covered with geese, a few swans being seen here and there.
Luka had warned him not to fire until the Ostjaks had shot all their
arrows, as the sound of his gun would at once scare the whole flock. The
edge of the water was about forty yards away. The Ostjaks and Luka had
both made holes through the bushes in front of them so as to be able to
shoot without exposing their heads. Moving gently Godfrey found a spot
where he could see through the boughs. The natives were just ready to
shoot. There were three swans close to the edge of the water, and the
bows twanged almost together.

Although he knew how marvellous was the shooting of the Ostjaks, he was
nevertheless surprised at seeing that each of the birds was struck in
the head, and was thus killed instantly without the slightest noise
being made.

Again and again they shot, and each arrow brought down its bird. Luka's
third arrow was less successful; it wounded a bird on the neck, and with
loud cries of pain and alarm it flew flapping across the pool. In an
instant the whole mass of birds rose on the wing, circling round and
round with loud cries. The natives, lying on their backs, shot arrow
after arrow into the air, in each case transfixing a goose. Each had
twelve arrows, and when they were exhausted Luka said, "Now, Godfrey,
you can fire."

Godfrey waited until a number of birds flew in a mass over him, and then
discharged both barrels. Five geese fell, and then the whole vast flock
flew away to the north, leaving the lagoon ent