392 CITIZEN BIRD 



Another kind, the Black Duck, nests as usual on the 

 ground, on a wooded island not far from the one to 

 which we are sailing." 



" Will you please tell us why Ducks have such wad- 

 dling legs?" begged Nat. 



" Because the best legs to swim with are not the easi- 

 est to walk with." 



At that moment the wind died down. The sails 

 flapped once or twice, and then hung loose ; and the 

 boat, instead of dashing along, began to drift lazily, 

 with an uncomfortable rolling motion, as the swell, 

 borne in from the ocean many miles away, crept under 

 it. 



" If the water does that much more, I shall soon be 

 hungry," said Dodo, looking a trifle sad and pressing 

 her hands together over her waist. 



'' 1 quite agree with you," said Olive ; " I know from 

 having liad the same feeling l)efore, that unless we eat 

 some of these little salt biscuits, and talk about some- 

 thing interesting, in a very few minutes you and 1 will 

 be sea-sick — which is the hungriest, emptiest sickness 

 possible." 



" I thought the feeling was a little more puffy than 

 real hungriness," said Dodo, chewing her biscuit in 

 great liaste and having some trouble in swallowing it. 



" May not we men have some too ? " asked the Doc- 

 tor, looking drolly at the boys, wlio were glancing long- 

 ingly at the biscuits, but were too proud to confess 

 their feelings. " Not that we feel ill — oh, no! Merely 

 for company, you know. 



^' Now while you muncli away, I will talk Duck to 

 amuse you ; eating and Duck talk go very well to- 



