पृष्ठ 327 / 657

"No, no, he found it. Its owner is unknown. I beg that you will

look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual

problem. And, first, as to how it came here. It arrived upon

Christmas morning, in company with a good fat goose, which is, I

have no doubt, roasting at this moment in front of Peterson's

fire. The facts are these: about four o'clock on Christmas

morning, Peterson, who, as you know, is a very honest fellow, was

returning from some small jollification and was making his way

homeward down Tottenham Court Road. In front of him he saw, in

the gaslight, a tallish man, walking with a slight stagger, and

carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder. As he reached the

corner of Goodge Street, a row broke out between this stranger

and a little knot of roughs. One of the latter knocked off the

man's hat, on which he raised his stick to defend himself and,

swinging it over his head, smashed the shop window behind him.