A FAR ADVENTURE 299 



and to your duck farm. Don't forget, Shan, that's 

 a growing business and though, in your three 

 years' hard work you haven't made much money 

 out of it, you've insured for yourself a living 

 should this trip lead to nothing." 



''But, sir — " began Shan, and stopped. 



''Well, my boy?" 



"My camera isn't good enough for such work 

 as that, not even my new one. You remember, 

 you advised me not to buy that big one we saw 

 advertised, last fall. ' ' 



"I know I did, my boy," the Feather Man re- 

 plied, "and I was just coming to that point." 



He referred again to the letter. 



" 'I have no objection to your telling Shan,' the 

 letter reads, ' ' he said, " ' if , after consulting with 

 him you feel that he would be wise to go, that I 

 shall be very glad to lend him such of my photo- 

 graphic outfit as he may need. I should only 

 stipulate, in such a case, that the plates remain 

 the property of the Biological Survey. ' 



"You see, Shan, there is no difficulty about the 

 camera question, because Baker's got one of the 

 best outfits in the United States. Still, as you 

 know, the lens is not enough. It's the hand be- 

 hind the lens that does the trick." 



