40 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
Skirting the fence rapidly and cautiously, he 
came to a place where a good leap would carry 
him to the top. Here he clung till he could get 
a grip with his hind paws, and draw himself up 
and over. As he dropped to the ground, there 
was a great flutter and squawking and cackle of 
ducks and geese. Quickly he sprang out on the 
ice, straight for the great gander, a fifteen-pound 
bird, and dove for its throat. The gander, with a 
loud noise, half rose and tried to escape over the 
fence, but Swiftfoot had his tail, and pulled him 
down. Then the bill struck at him, the big wings 
beat powerfully in his face, and he was busy 
enough for the next two minutes, before he could 
finally get that throat into his jaws. He had it 
at last, he felt the bird’s resistance cease, and he 
started to pull the heavy burden over the ice to- 
ward the spot in the fence where he had climbed 
over. He had, meanwhile, been only vaguely 
aware of the tremendous uproar in the pen. In- 
deed, his back had been toward the bank. 
Now, as he faced about, the body ‘of the goose 
dangling from his jaws and trailing on the ice, he 
suddenly saw the gate of the pen open and a man 
