Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1879 — Honors to the Brave — A Goose Story. [ARTICLE]

Honors to the Brave — A Goose Story.

On Wednesday an interesting fight between two geese was witnessed in a vacant lot on Summer street, near South Union. A flock of geese were engaged in extracting from a large mud-hole such delicacies as are relished as food by that festive bird, when a strange goose made his appearance and began quietly grubbing, evidently deeming the mud-hole common property. For some time the appearance of this stranger was not noticed, but at last one of the geese looked up and beheld the intruder, and, walking to his companions, seemed to communicate the intelligence to them. A short consultation was held, and one of the number approached the intruder, and, as subsequent actions proved, extended a challenge for a com-

bat. This challenge was promptly accepted, and the two began to fight, all the geese surrounding the two cackling fiercely. For a period of about ten minutes the warfare was waged fiercely, and at the end of that time the intruder began to press his antagonist so hard that he took refuge in flight. The intruder, after following liis opponent a short distance, returned to the spectators and was received by them in silence. Hie raised his wings and strutted round, cackling all the time. The whole orowd then followed the vanquished goose, hissing and striking at him with their mouths, and forcing him away. The victorious intruder was taken into full membership, their former companion being banished. The process of grubbing in the mud-hole was then resumed with unwonted activity.— Nashville ( Tenn .) American.