CHAP. vin. THE TWO GEESE. 139 



or some convenient place, and then ran home as fast 

 as he could, in order to be at his work at the proper 

 time. He once ran three miles in twenty minutes. 

 He measured the time by his watch, for he had a 

 watch then, though, like himself, it is worn out now. 



Occasionally, when kept late at work, he was 

 prevented from enjoying his evening ramble. After 

 going to bed, and taking a short sleep, he would set 

 out in the dark, in order to be at the place where 

 he had appointed ; from whence he worked his way 

 homeward in the morning towards Banff. 



But though he made it a general practice during 

 his nightly excursions to return home in time for 

 the morning's work, he occasionally found it neces- 

 sary to deviate a little from this rule. When he was 

 in search of some particular bird, he was never satis- 

 fied or at rest until he had obtained it. On one 

 occasion two Geese, the first of their kind that he had 

 ever seen, caused him to lose nearly a whole week 

 before he could run them down. 



He first saw them whilst walking out one Sunday 

 afternoon. They were swimming about on a piece 

 of water near the town. He went out before day- 

 light next morning to the same place. But he saw 

 no geese. He waited for an hour, and then they made 

 their appearance. They alighted on the water within 

 a short distance of the bar, where he was sitting. Had 

 his object been to secure them at once, he could easily 

 have shot them, for they were both within reach of 



