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Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his

assailants; but the man, shocked at having broken the window, and

seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him,

dropped his goose, took to his heels, and vanished amid the

labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham

Court Road. The roughs had also fled at the appearance of

Peterson, so that he was left in possession of the field of

battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this

battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose."

"Which surely he restored to their owner?"

"My dear fellow, there lies the problem. It is true that 'For

Mrs. Henry Baker' was printed upon a small card which was tied to

the bird's left leg, and it is also true that the initials 'H.

B.' are legible upon the lining of this hat, but as there are

some thousands of Bakers, and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in

this city of ours, it is not easy to restore lost property to any

one of them."