196 
THE GOOSE EVICTED, 
it as best I could, though I felt sometimes as 
if it would make me mad, for I could under- 
stand what a disappointment it would be to the 
post-holder’s wife to disturb the fowl when it 
had set. What a resource both the prospective 
fowls and their eggs would be in such a destitute 
place ; besides, I really liked to see them going 
about — they were the only immigrants that 
seemed to thrive, II., however, was much en- 
gaged with calculations from observations with 
his sextant, and measurements on the shore, and 
when thinking deeply, the disturbance of these 
creatures was more than he could bear. Fre- 
quent polite messages to remove them were un- 
heeded ; at last we sent to say they must be 
shot if they were not taken away. Our neigli- 
hours removed them, and owed us a grudge ever 
after. I can laugh now over the matter, it seems 
too silly almost to write about ; but you can only 
faintly imagine what we suffered from this cause. 
The men went in company with the post- 
holder and the four men of his party, so that our 
strength for defence, should an attack be made, 
was very slight. There was Kobez, to be sure, 
our clever cook and caterer, who would doubtless 
show himself as ready in fighting as in his right- 
ful sphere ! 
