some time the next day 
when he climbed out over 
the edge of the feather nest 
and touched ground. He 
was not a very big duck, 
then—just a small bundle 
of down with a pair of 
feet and a very baby-like 
bill. However, he looked quite as well as his 
ten brothers and sisters, many of whom were 
already gathered about their mother. 
Then they began a journey on which all 
seemed eager to start. The yellow sand was 
smooth with only here and there a sage bush, 
so the walking was not difficult even for such 
youthful travelers. But a dreadful thing hap- 
pened before they had gone twenty feet! 
Suddenly the big 
gray mother fell to 
the ground and 
began to flutter 
around in a most 
alarming fashion, at 
A great black raven dropped down amon 4 
: oan ” the same: time cry- 
215 
