266 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



Shan made a wry face. 



"It — it doesn't sound very exciting, sir," he 

 said; ''that just means a duck farm." 



''My boy," said the Feather Man, "the excite- 

 ment and interest in life comes from how you do 

 a thing, not from what you do. I'm pointing out 

 to you, now, what seems to me the best way for you 

 to turn your capital and your land to the best 

 advantage, at your age." 



"But where am I going to get Mallards now?" 

 the boy queried. "All the ducks have gone north, 

 long ago." 



"You'll have to start with domestic ducks," his 

 friend advised. "Remember, you're not ready 

 for them yet, Shan. You've got to get an en- 

 closure ready, fenced with wire. You will have to 

 build a shelter to which the ducks can go during 

 winter storms. You will have to learn all about 

 ducks and duck-raising, what to do when they get 

 ill, how to make them lay, how to look after the 

 ducklings, breeding questions — you will find 

 there's enough to learn. Like everything else in 

 this world, Shan, there is no success in anything 

 that is half done. 



"Any one can run a duck farm and lose money 

 on it; a good many people can manage one and 



