172 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



" Here she is ! What luck ? Twelve gathered ! " 



t( Yes," cried a voice, " an' two dropped ashore. 



Here they are. Seven couple o' geese ! Hooray ! " 



After everything had been made right, the party 



returned to the public-house. Very late at night, or 



indeed it may have been early in the next morning, 



Coleman was heard cheering the hearts of the 



company with songs of a warlike character. One 



chorus in particular was much appreciated 



" For matchless was he that ruled the seas ; 

 His name like his fame 

 Immortal shall be." 



This was followed by the " Pirate of the Isles," a 

 ditty of the most ferocious words sung to a very 

 heartrending tune. But the grand piece of the 

 evening for, as one of the party said, " the old boy 

 was crowding on canvas" was the " Mutiny at the 

 More," which was given with great expression and 

 feeling. I shall never forget it as long as I live, for 

 the old boy looked graver than any owl could 

 possibly look, even if it were to try its best, and 

 this was the chorus 



" Parker he was hung for mutiny, 

 That's a thing you can't deny ; 

 In a coach an' four they went to London, 

 'Cos poor Parker shouldn't die." 



If those gentlemen-fowlers are alive now, and 

 indeed I sincerely hope they are, they may guess 

 who the writer of these pages is, for he was one of 

 the party on that occasion. 



