CINNAMON TEAL. 1 29 



crawled through the rushes to the verge — fancying 

 themselves perfectly secure. Some may be quietly pad- 

 dling in and out of the sedge on the other side, daintily 

 picking up the floating seeds that were shaken down 

 when the wind rustled through, stretching up to gather 

 those still hanging or to pick off little creatures from 

 the seared stalks. Perhaps a flock is floating idly in mid- 

 stream, some asleep, with the head resting close on the 

 back and the bill buried in the plumage. Some others 

 swim vigorously along, with breasts deeply immersed, 

 tasting the water as they go, straining it through their 

 bills to net minute insects, and gabbling to each other 

 their sense of perfect enjoyment. But let them appear 

 never so careless, they are quick to catch the sound of 

 coming danger and take alarm ; they are alert in an in- 

 stant; the next incautious movement or snapping of a 

 twig startles them ; a chorus of quacks, a splashing of 

 feet, a whistling of wings, and the whole company is off. 

 He is a good sportsman who stops them then, for the 

 stream twists about, the reeds confuse and the birds are 

 out of sight almost as soon as seen. 



"Much as elsewhere, I presume, the duck hunter has 

 to keep his wits about him and be ready to act at very 

 short notice ; but there is double necessity on the Verde. 

 The only passages along the stream are Indian trail^- 

 here always warpaths. In retaliation for real or fan- 

 cied wrongs — or partly, at least, from inherent dispo- 

 sition — these savages spend most of their time in wan- 

 dering about in hopes of plunder and murder; this, 

 too, against each other, so long as the tribes are not 



