While they were busy with their task
there came again the sound of the wild goose call. Seizing the
rifles, George and Gilbert made off across the island, and soon
came back with two young geese, and word that there was another
there but too far out in the water for them to get it. Whereupon
Job and Joe went off in the canoe, and after a short time came back
with a third. This made a pretty good day's hunt. George's record
was, one spruce partridge, two young geese, and one caribou.
We had young wild goose for supper that night. I think I never
have tasted anything more delicious, and with hot fried cakes it
made a supper fit for a king. As we ate the men talked about the
calls of the wild birds.
George said: "I do like to hear a wild goose call." Certainly no
one who heard him say it would doubt his word. After a little he
continued: "There is another bird, too, that the Indians call 'ah-
ha-way,' that I used to like so much to listen to when I was a boy.
How I used to listen to that bird call. I tell you if you heard
that bird call you could just sit and listen and listen. I don't
know the English name for it. It is a very small duck, just a very
little bird.
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