THE WILD GOOSE 119 



entirely to the sentinels, but each sleeps with one eye 

 open, as we say. Thus are the ruses of the hunter 

 nearly always baffled when he tries to get near them. 

 "I will stop here for to-day. I hope that, with- 

 out going into other details that would carry us too 

 far, I have reinstated the slandered bird in your 

 esteem. The goose is not silly; on the contrary, it 

 possesses to a high degree the wiles, the talents, 

 in fact everything necessary for the admirable ful- 

 filment of its mission as a goose." 



