CHAPTER X 



GEESE : AN APPRECIATION AND A MEMORY 



One November evening, in the neighbourhood 



of Lyndhurst, I saw a flock of geese marching 



in a long procession, led, as their custom is, by 



a majestical gander ; they were coming home 



from their feeding -ground in the forest, and 



when I spied them were approaching their 



owner's cottage. Arrived at the wooden gate 



of the garden in front of the cottage, the leading 



bird drew up square before it, and with repeated 



loud screams demanded admittance. Pretty 



soon, in response to the summons, a man came 



out of the cottage, walked briskly down the 



garden path and opened the gate, but only wide 



enough to put his right leg through ; then, 



placing his foot and knee against the leading 



bird, he thrust him roughly back ; as he did so 



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