CHAPTER XI 



GEESE : AN APPRECIATION AND A MEMORY 



ONE November evening, in the neighbourhood 

 of Lyndhurst, I saw a flock of geese marching in 

 a long procession, led, as their custom is, by a 

 majestical gander ; they were coming home from 

 their feeding-ground in the forest, and when I 

 spied them were approaching their owner's cottage. 

 Arrived at the wooden gate of the garden in front 

 of the cottage, the leading bird drew up square 

 before it, and with repeated loud screams demanded 

 admittance. Pretty soon, in response to the 

 summons, a man came out of the cottage, walked 

 briskly down the garden path and opened the gate, 

 but only wide enough to put his right leg through ; 

 then, placing his foot and knee against the leading 

 bird, he thrust him roughly back ; as he did so 

 three young geese pressed forward and were allowed 

 to pass in ; then the gate was slammed in the face 

 of the gander and the rest of his followers, and the 

 man went back to the cottage. The gander's in- 

 dignation was fine to see, though he had most 



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