THE POST-HOLDER'S GOOSE, 
193 
Unfortunately our friendly relations had been 
slightly ruffled, and all through a goose. They 
had wisely brought birds of this family from 
Amboina, and, since their stay in the place might 
be long, they were anxious to rear goslings. 
Their house was built quite on the ground, native 
houses were built six feet from it, while ours 
was raised from one to three feet, according to 
the irregularities of the ground beneath. Under 
our house was the most comfortable place, with- 
out doubt, for the poor goose to nest in, and she 
chose a spot exactly under my bed. To my sor- 
row I was too often in bed, and was separated 
from her only by a flooring of split bamboo, which 
very much resembles the lath of a house in pro- 
cess of building. The other geese came about, 
and there was really seldom quiet from their cack- 
ling. In the night I used to wake up, sure that 
some one was moving in the apartment, until I 
remembered that it was only the goose rustling 
on her nest ; and when I was lying in greatest 
prostration, after the delirium of fever had abated, 
in acute physical agony from rheumatic pain in 
every part of the body, and with every nerve on 
the stretch, the shrill skr&ik, shrciik , sh'aik of 
these birds used to cause me- to jump quite out 
of bed from the start and sudden fright. I bore 
