YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



the back edge of my little blanket, which 

 really saved my tender flesh. 



At that instant papa got ahead and gave 

 him such a solid whack with the umbrella 

 that he turned his attention to him, while 

 mamma knelt down in the driveway and 

 bowed over me, so the fierce bird could not 

 possibly reach me again, and shielded her 

 face with her arms. She feared he would 

 pluck at my beautiful eyes; yet she did not 

 realize till afterward the great danger we 

 were all in, for a wild goose will break a 

 man's arm with one blow from his powerful 

 wing, so a hunter afterward told us; but 

 papa gave him such stout battle that he flew 

 off, conking angrily, into the bay, and we 

 reached the house in safety. 



A few moments later, when mamma went 

 to set a can of cream on the north piazza, 

 there was Mr. Goose again, standing on 

 the door-step and hissing at her. She re- 

 treated, pell-mell, into the house. Papa 

 grabbed a new broom out of the kitchen and 

 went out, and had a regular go-round with 

 the old fellow, ruffling up his feathers with 

 a good pummeling, before he took wing and 

 sailed off into the bay again. 



189 



