?" said La Salle, anxious to investigate the peculiar monomania of
this poor lunatic; for such, indeed, he evidently was.

"Why, mon," said he, evidently surprised at the absurdity of the
question, "by his croun, of course. The king has ae braw croun o' white
an black fedders, an' I'se reckon ye's never seen a guse like that
ava'--hae ye now?" he asked, anxiously.

"I have never seen any such bird," said La Salle; "but why do you care
so much about shooting this rare bird?"

"Weel, I'll tell ye, sin ye were kin' till me, an' did na keep the guse
fra' me. Ye must promise me that ye will na try to kill it wi' your ain
hands, for I must kill it mysel'."

"We promise," said La Salle, encouragingly, while Kennedy gave a
half-pitying nod of the head.

"Weel, when I was young I cared for naething but the gun, an' mony a
beating I got for wark negleckit, an' schule-days wasted in the woods,
or on the ice. As I grew older I cared more an' more for huntin', an'
although I killed mair than ony three in the settlement, I was never
satisfied. Ance I sat here on a could day in April; the ice had gane off
the bar, but the flats were yet covered, and I knew that until the win'
changed the ice would not be carried off.

"Sae, as I sat an' saw the breakers roolin' in an' breakin' an' heavin'
the outer ice, I saw mony flecks pass under the lee of the Governor's
Island, an' then I grew mad like, an' swore an' cursed at my ill luck.

"'Ay, my lad, but you're right;' an' turnin', I saw an ould man wi' dark
eyes an' a coat of black furs stannin' beside me.

"'I've seen i' the Bible,' said I, 'that man was gi'en "dominion ower
the beasts o' the earth an' the fowls o' the air," but I canna do as I'd
wush wi' thae cursed geese ower there.'

"'Verra richt; ye're verra richt, young man,' said he. 'What wud ye gie
to be able to kill as mony fowl as ye list, an' never miss ava?'

"It seemed as I were mad at th' thocht. 'I'd gie my saul,' said I.

"'Well, hae your wish, laddie,' said he; 'it's a sma' penny fee for so
dear a bargain;' and, turnin', I fand mysel' alone, an' not a saul upon
the ice, far or near. Weel, that day I killed birds until I had nae mair
pouther an' grit-shot; an' ilka day I went I had the like luck; but my
min' was ill at ease, an' I grew sad, an' dared na gae to prayers, or
the kirk; for then hell seemed to yawn under me. At last they said I was
mad, an' I went awee tae th' 'sylum yonder i' th' town, an' then I gat