I told my pal what I had done, for he was a man that it was easy to tell a thing like that to.

He laughed until he choked, and we got a knife and opened the goose.

My heart turned to water, for there was no sign of the stone, and I knew that some terrible mistake had occurred.

I left the bird, rushed back to my sister's, and hurried into the back yard.

There was not a bird to be seen there.
"'Where are they all, Maggie ?' I cried.
"'Gone to the dealer's, Jem.' "'Which dealer's ?' "'Breckinridge, of Covent Garden.' "'But was there another with a barred tail ?' I asked, 'the same as the one I chose ?' "'Yes, Jem; there were two barred-tailed ones, and I could never tell them apart.' "Well, then, of course I saw it all, and I ran off as hard as my feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge; but he had sold the lot at once, and not one word would he tell me as to where they had gone.