392 CITIZEN BIRD 



Another kind, the Bhick 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. 



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

 having had the same feeling before, that unless we eat 

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

 thing interesting, in a very few minutes you and I 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 haste and having some trouble in swallowing it. 



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

 tor, looking drolly at the boys, who 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 munch away, I will talk Duck to 

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



