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or race, five or six birds that started 

 abreast and very slowly, and ended with a 

 rush and a headlong dive into the grasses 

 of the opposite shore. Here and there 

 about the edges of the playground an old 

 mother bird sat on a tussock and looked 

 down on the wild unconscious play, wiggling 

 her tail in satisfaction and anon stretching 

 her neck to look and listen watchfully. The 

 voices of the playing birds were curiously low 

 and subdued, reminding me strongly of some 

 Indian children that I had once seen playing. 

 At times the quacking had a faint ventrilo- 

 quous effect, seeming to come from far away, 

 and again it ceased absolutely at a sign from 

 some watchful mother, though the play went 

 steadily on, as if even in their play they must 

 be mindful of the enemies that were watch- 

 ing and listening everywhere to catch them. 

 As I rose a bit higher to see some birds 

 that were very near me but screened by the 

 meadow-grass, my foot touched a paddle and 

 rattled it slightly. A single quack, different 

 from all others, followed instantly, and every 

 bird stopped just where he was and stretched 



