water was very black, and the moment the 
leading ducks pitched into it they knew that 
something was wrong. They tried to rise but 
they could not fly. Those following swerved 
sharply upward and were saved. The pond 
was covered with thick oil from the oil wells 
near by, and its surface was dotted with dead 
ducks and many of the bodies lay along the shore. 
And so it was that the widgeons went from 
one feeding place to another, but always moving 
southward, until at length they came to a wide 
valley surrounded by lofty mountains. ‘Two of 
the peaks were so very high that they were 
covered with perpetual snow. It was in many 
ways a pleasant land and there was plenty to 
eat, so here they remained the rest of the 
winter. Rarely were they shot at. Some people 
might say that the reason for this was that all the 
men who had guns were away trying to kill other 
men, for some kind of war was going on in that 
country. 
Here in this valley of abundance one day they 
found a large pond that contained more good 
food than they had ever seen before in any one 
935 
