JOHNNIE GREENHEAD 51 



half mile away, they were shut in the horse lot and were 

 not allowed to go to the brook to swim. Evidently the 

 love of freedom was fast coming to outweigh the feeling 

 of security and the love of plenty of good feed at home, or 

 was it that Johnnie had no idea of the hardships of the 

 wildlings ? However this may be, late in April he decided 

 to leave his friends and the only home he had ever known. 



One bright morning, just at daybreak, he rose into the 

 air and flew straight toward the river some two miles away. 



It was fortunate for Johnnie that the weather had 

 come off warm and fair and every one was busy sowing 

 oats or plowing corn. Had he decided to leave ten days 

 earlier, when there were hunters stalking every pond and 

 every bend of the river, his fate would have been certain, 

 for his training had taught him that the instinct to fear 

 man was only a delusion. 



With a glad quack he lighted in the crabapple pond 

 and began swimming around and feeding on the lus- 

 cious water grass that lined the shore. If only the rest 

 of the flock had come with him he would have been per- 

 fectly happy, but he was not so sure about being alone. 

 But as he was growing lonesome and was hesitating in his 

 mind whether he ought to return to the farmstead or remain 

 where he was, a lone duck, one of his own race which had 

 her wing injured by a stray shot and so was left behind 

 by the flock but had sufficiently recovered to be able to 

 fly again, chanced to light in this pond, and this settled the 

 matter. Both were overjoyed at the meeting. For two or 

 three days they remained in the vicinity, every day Johnnie 

 Greenhead learning more wisdom from his new found 

 friend. Finally, both growing more strong of wing and 

 sure of themselves, Johnnie permitted himself to be led, as 



