THE SURGEON'S FIRST GOOSE 129 



from which, by the way, has accounted for more than one 

 tough old pink-footed gander during a low flight. 



" We'd best dodder down to the sand-dunes and lay 

 up in the owd wreck, Doctor. The whole town seems to 

 be out a-gunnin' this evenin'. Must heve got wind o' 

 the geeze, I doubt," growled Gilson, whom the Doctor 

 found seated upon the lichen-covered dole-stone, with 

 a huge single-barrelled M.L. fowling-piece over one shoul- 

 der, a home-dressed canvas bag over the other, while a 

 sagacious-looking retriever of the now well-nigh extinct 

 brown curly-coated breed lay comfortably stretched at 

 his master's feet. 



" Do 'ee chuck away that there fowl-scarin' seegar 

 afore we crosses the sea-wall, maister ! " said the " Gaffer " 

 to his companion, whose glowing and aromatic " Havana " 

 he had been eyeing in but ill-disguised displeasure ever 

 since the worthy surgeon made his appearance. 



Crossing the high escarpment which, according to local 

 tradition, has withstood the incursions of the spring tides, 

 and thereby saved the contiguous marshes from inunda- 

 tion, for well over two centuries, the gunners and their 

 canine servant take up their stands in an old vessel, 

 through the decaying timbers of which sprout maram- 

 grass and other rank herbage indigenous to sandy fore- 

 shores. 



The last scintillant spears of the setting sun have now 

 disappeared beneath the horizon, and the western heavens 

 are one blaze of gold and crimson. But the breeze which 

 comes creeping shorewards finds not favour in the eyes of 

 Gilson, for he mutters something to the effect that " it 

 doan't blow near hard enough to keep the geeze down." 



The gold and crimson glory of the west pales to a sheen 



