GEESE 



While we were placing the battery, Grant- 

 land Rice arrived in a small boat from Ocra- 

 coke. He was drenched; he had been four 

 days en route from New York, and he was 

 about fed up on rough travel. Through 

 numb, blue lips he chattered, "You're harder 

 to find than Stanley." 



I directed him to the houseboat and told 

 him where to obtain comfort and warmth 

 third bureau drawer, left-hand corner, but 

 be sure to cork it up when through then 

 explained that Max had put down a double 

 box and was waiting for him. 



"The weather to kill geese is weather to 

 kill men," I assured him. "You're in luck to 

 arrive during a norther like this." 



"Any nursing facilities aboard the boat?" 

 Grant wanted to know. 



I assured him with pride that we were 

 equipped to take care of almost anything up 

 to double pneumonia, and that if worse came 

 to worst and his lungs filled up, we could run 

 him over to the mainland, where he could 

 probably get in touch with a hospital by mail. 



My battery managed to live, with the lead 

 wash strips turned up, but the gale drove foam 

 and spray over me in such quantities that I 



23 



