Page:St. Nicholas, vol. 40.1 (1912-1913).djvu/464

296 and his grip relaxed. He made a groping rush for the burrow; but in that same instant, the gander’s great bill seized him by the back of the neck and lifted him high into the air.

“This was very near being the end of Young Grumpy, for the one-eyed gander would now have bitten and banged and hammered at him till he was as dead as a last year’s June-bug. But, happily, the Boy and the white dog came running up in the nick of time. The gander dropped his victim and stalked off haughtily. And poor Young Grumpy, after turning twice around in a confused way, crawled back into his hole.

“The white dog opened his mouth from ear to ear, and looked up at the Boy with an unmistakable grin. The Boy, half laughing, half sympathetic, went and peered into the hole.

“I guess you ’d better keep out of Old Wall-Eye’s way after this!” said he.

“And Young Grumpy did. Whenever the one-eyed gander was in the yard, then Young Grumpy would scurry and scuttle away to the garden.”