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My Antarctic Goose.



Goose being transferred to the luggage van. Now this might not

have been so bad in itself, were it not for the irritating habit that

the officials have in that part of the world, of apparently, purposely,

turning every piece of luggage upside down, which would have been

very disastrous for the Goose ! With the assistance of some ‘ pesos ’

(there is no doubt that money rules the world! ) the bird was

handled fairly carefully, and at one o’clock in the night I arrived at

Mendoza where a sleeping car awaited me for the continuation of

my journey to Buenos Ayres, and there I secured my Goose in its

box and carried it into my compartment, in spite of a great outcry,

but a friendly German, who spoke Spanish fluently, saved the

situation, and I am sure his lie was forgiven him, by firmly declaring

that I had a special permission, and the Goose was all right so far,

hut next morning it had to he taken out of the box to let it feed, and

whilst its breakfast was in progress, who should come in but the

ticket collector who at once made a great outcry at the presence of

the Goose in the compartment, whilst I, in my turn, retorted and

argued that as I was paying for the whole compartment I had a

perfect right to take the goose there if I chose, and that it was no

one else’s business ! I carried my point so far that the man went

away swearing that he would have his revenge when we reached

Buenos Ayres, but I comforted myself by thinking that once there

I could manage to get through somehow or other.


So the Goose and I travelled peacefully after that to Buenos

Ayres, arriving after midnight ; but hardly had I stepped out of the

train when three ferocious-looking officials informed me that I must

go to an official in the railway station, leave the Goose, and return

in the morning and explain matters.


This of course would never do !


My German friend, who spoke Spanish so fluently, and who

had already assisted me, again most kindly came to the fore and to

my rescue, with the residt that I was permitted to take the Goose

away with me by paying eight 1 pesos,’ which I did not, under the

circumstances, begrudge : and at one-thirty a.m. I arrived at my

hotel with my luggage and my birds.


Next morning, after much difficulty a place was found on a

terrace on the flat roof of the house for my Goose, and it was put



