104 
ALMOST HUMAN 
the water by one leg, tossed un- 
ceremoniously into the air, and 
caught neatly in the cavernous 
pouch attached to the pelican’s 
lower mandible. A second duck- 
ling took the same involuntary 
flight into oblivion; a third, and 
then the fourth — the last of the 
four-and-twenty that were to make 
such an imposing sight upon the 
face of the waters of the Zoo. 
There was now 
“No doubt at all. 
No possible probable shadow 
of doubt. 
No possible doubt whatever” 
who was accountable for the ducks. 
There was no possible doubt 
either that the complete amalga- 
mation of forces benefited only the 
pelican; and as the staff believed 
he would thrive just as well, and 
far more cheaply, on raw meat or 
coarse fish, they removed him 
from that pond before the next 
clutches made their appearance. 
Later when the Cape Barren 
goose, incurably addicted to ram- 
bling, strolled past the pond where 
the pelican was brooding on the 
problem : “What’s the good of 
anything?” he immediately recog- 
nised a creature that was bored 
to death with the monotony of 
life. He thought a sensation might 
be good for the pessimist, and so 
he at once sailed in towards him. 
Who said ducks? Mr. Cape Barren was not quite 
prepared to see that long beak 
open and show space enough to engulf himself, his wife and family, and 
