llets from the
.45-70 rifles that were aimed at him went through his neck, cutting the
bone clean and leaving his head hanging by two little bits of skin.
The other bullet bored a hole through his body, breaking both wings. I
did not blame him when he keeled over. The leader disposed of, Hubbard
and George again fired in quick succession, and two of the other geese
dropped just as they were turning back upstream and vainly trying to
rise on their wings, which were useless so soon after the moulting
season. The second shot emptied George's rifle. He threw it down,
grabbed a paddle and went after one of the birds, which, only slightly
wounded, was flopping about in the water.

Meanwhile Hubbard had fired twice at the fourth goose and missed both
times. His rifle also being empty now, he cast it aside, seized his
pistol, ran around the bank and jumped into the water in time to head
off the remaining goose as it was flopping upstream. That brought the
goose between him and George, and the bird was so bewildered that
Hubbard had time to fire at him twice with his pistol and kill him,
while George effectually disposed of the wounded goose by swatting him
over the head with the paddle. Thus all four birds were ours, and our
exultation knew no bounds. We shouted, we threw our hats in the air
and shouted again. Lifting the birds critically, we estimated that we
had on hand about fifty pounds of goose meat.

More luck came to us that same day when we halted for luncheon at the
foot of some rapid water. As soon as we stopped, Hubbard, as usual,
cast a fly, and almost immediately landed a half-pound trout. Then, as
fast as I could split them and George fry them, another and another,
all big ones, fell a victim to his skill. The result was that we had
all the trout we could eat that noon, and we ate a good many.

It was late in the afternoon when we reached the point where the two
brooks joined to form Goose Creek. Our scouting was finished in less
than two hours, and we went into camp early: for, as Hubbard expressed
it, we were to have a "heap big feed," and George reminded us that it
would take a good while to roast a goose. Our camp was pitched at the
foot of a semi-barren ridge a half-mile above the junction of the
brooks. George built a big fire--much bigger than usual. At the back
he placed the largest green log he could find. Just in front of the
fire, and at each side, he fixed a forked stake, and on these r