Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-01
A WILD GOOSE CHASE.

Mr.. NJ C. Kiser, solemn after the man
DER Of amen brethren, and scrupuious in
statement the wary witness who testified
that his name was Abraham Jones, or words
10 that effect, has yet this tale 10 tell
He says it was told him many years ago by
. gentleman Of character and reputation for
veracityF
"Old man Lundsford was out hunting one
day when he saw eleven turkeys sizing In
line on rail fence He bad loaded his shot
gun with turkey shot and forgotten to pull
out the ramrod When be shot at the near
esst gobbler the rod enfiladed the turkeys and
cut of all their heads. 50 that they dropped
forward and fell on the ground. where they
lay In a straight row
Just at then he heard noise in the bushes
on the other side Of the creek, and going over
10 investigate the cause, he saw blood On the
leaves. Following this sanguinary trail for
a couple OF hundred yards be came upon
wounded stag. The brute WAS unable TO go
farther and had sunk to the ground Stick
ing through his body and protruding in the
other side was the ramrod Weak as he was
the stag allowed Lundsford to pull out the rod.
After it tho life blood gushed and in mo
ment the animal WAS dead
"Wiping the blood carefully from the ram
rod he reloaded and returned 1t 70 its place
under the gun barrel.
Then he shouldered the buck and staggered
across the creek to the place where the tur-
keys lay.
AS he sat down to get his breath and rest
from the unusual exertlon he heard the ia
miliar 'cronkl cronkr of wild geese away up
in the sky. Their keen eyes discovered the
creek. and down they came to broad and
4. - arhor trn
hundred yards above.
Afraid to go within gunshot for fear OF
frightening them off. Lundsford sat still and
thought the matter over, As he did so his
eye fell upon a stout piece Of very large cord,
the end Of which hung out Of his hunting bag.
happy thought struck him and he pulled
out the cord to see if it was long enough. 1t
was fifteen feet; that was enough and to spare.
Cooling the cord carefully around his left
arm, he crept cautiously to a bend of the
creek where he was out OF sight Of the geese.
Quickly divesting himself of his clothing, be
waded slowly up the creek, keeping well
under the bank to avoid frightening the geese
The bend concealed him from them until he
WAS within about thirty yards.
Through the overhanging foliage he could
just see them sailing, diving and cavorting
about the pool They were in high spirits,
and appeared to be totally unconscious that
they were watched There were fourteen
geese and one big gander who kept aloof and
looked on at the sport as if it was a little too
undignified for him.
"Lundsford had been a wonderful diver in
his boy days, and now he prepared for long
swim under the surface. Dipping noselessly
in the water, no half swami half crawled,
terrapin fashion, along the bottom Of the pool
till he got under the geese. They were dis
porting themselves about in circle, and
Lundsford slowly rose in the center till the
top of his head appeared like moss covered
rock above the surface. The geese took no
notice Of this and be- managed to get his nos
trlls above the surface and take a long breath.
"Then he sank without making u ripple and
deftly looped his cord around the feet of one
goose after another. The other geese could
not understand the queer capers of their
neighbors, who seemed suddenly to be at
tackled with fit of the ST. Vitus dance, until,
one by one, they found themselves in the
same preiicament. Then they all knew they
were tied, and their demeanor became sud
denly frantic.
But it was too late Lundsford had tied
the feet Of all fourteen Of them end fastened
the ends Of the cord together. Then he threw
caution to the winds and rose suddenly in the
middle Of a circle with his hands stretched
out grasping the cord on opposite sides.
ALAS, for his temerityi The old gander
who was free set up a terrible 'cronki cronkV
The geese answered in notes of despair, but
the old fellow seemed not to have lost the
courage of leadership, for he lowered within
a safe distance, and by series of energetic
cronks inspired them with a sudden and des-
pernte resolution
IAN at once the gander, with an unearthly
cronk that sounded to Lundsford like the
wall of the damned. lifted his clumsy body
and led the flight. With tremendous flop
ping and II succession Of cronks that strangely
resembled the Hcave hor of the negroes.
they rose from the water and sailed away
toward the sky, carrying Lundsford with
them Before he knew what was going to
happen he was fifty feet from the ground,
and when he realized his perilous position he
was too high to drop He was in for the
fight He must migrate whether or no, aud
up under the edges Of the clouds, the cool
winds Of the upper air famed the perspira-
ton from his brow, he had time to think
over the situation Where would he land,
and how far from homei Would these fool
birds drop him in the ocean or the gulf, In
the meantime his position was exceedingly
irksome He had managed to draw the two
sides of the circle together, 50 that he was
virtually standing in the stirruDs Of his
many winged steed, but he was standing on
his hands and his arms began to tire. The
geese on his right and left were so close that
their wings rubbed against his bare sides and
chafed them. They tickled his ribs, and but
for the peril and pain Of the situation he
would have been forced into Involuntary
laughter.
He was many times reminded Of the ludi-
crous aspect Of the situation, and repeatedly
asked himself whether he was not the biggest
goose in the lot
"All thought of mirth soon left him. The
situation had changed from discomfort to ex-
IRENE peril The muscles OF his arms could
not stand it much longer A cold sweat gath
cred on his brow, and he began to nerve him
self for the worst. He was resolved to face
death like brave man, and he almost con-
WINGED himself that he was willing to go. but
to die at the hands Of a lot of geese was a dis
grace to which his lofty spirit would not 10
reconciled.
ITO the bitterness Of this disgrace and the
agony Of leaving all that was dear in life .
new and unspeakable horror vas now added
He was passing over q town and he could -
the people gather in clusters along the streets
and twist their necks to look up in the sky.
It was q large town and the suburbs stretched
away for nearly mile. To his unutterable
horror he remembered that he had left bis
clothes on the bank Of the creek Even IL be
had had them it would have been impossible
to put them on. This new tangled vehicle Of
his had no facilities for making toilettes and
he had to remain AZ nature formed him, with
out any Of the superhuities Of fashion Not
even a fg leaf encountered his person Il
was an admirable flying costume. but VA
not appropriate for a public performance
He was just congratulating himself that he
vas too far above those curious eyes for them
To discover his costume when be saw that one
group held something in their hands It was
. long field glass. He bent his agonized face
once more rigidly to the front At least they
would not recognize him
Just at this time he noticed that the oc-
cassonai cronks began to grow feebler, and
that the geese appeared to labor in their
flight They were becoming tired. and must
Inevitably aak under his weight very soon.
Then he prayed that the wings Of the geess
might be strengthened for . season He was
willing even, like Jonah, to be cast INTO the
sea; anything rather than Land in that town
Then he clucked encouragingly to his fourteen
winged steesis and gently jerked the cord a.
II he were jerking the reins OF his horse, but
still they labored The old ganderis hoarss
'crouki croakr seemed TO mock him in his
despair and his downcast spirit began to sink
'AA at once be heard something whix by
him and be saw puff Of blue smoke away
down below. A second or two later be heard