220 BIRDS AND MAN 



and hurl himself upon it. Nothing could be easier ; 

 so away he went and in about twenty minutes was 

 back again with the milk, to find the bird in the 

 same place standing as before motionless in the 

 same attitude. It was not disturbed at his coming 

 in at the gate, nor did it show the slightest dis- 

 position to move when he walked towards it in 

 his studied careless manner. Then, when within 

 three yards of it, came the supreme moment, and 

 wheeling suddenly round he hurled himself with 

 violence upon his victim, throwing out his arms 

 to capture it, and so great was the impulse he had 

 given himself that he was buried to the ankles in 

 the drift. But before going into it, in that brief 

 moment, the fraction of a second, he saw what 

 happened ; just as his hands were about to touch 

 it the wings opened and the bird was lifted from 

 its stand and out of his reach as if by a miracle. 

 In the drift he was like a drowning man, swallow- 

 ing snow into his lungs for water. For a few dread- 

 ful moments he thought it was all over with him ; 

 then he succeeded in struggling out and stood 

 trembling and gasping and choking, blinded with 

 snow. By-and-bye he recovered and had a look 

 round, and lo ! there stood his goose on the sum- 

 mit of the snow bank about three yards from the 



