

The Mother Teal and the Overland Route 



low, gentle quack that doubtless meant, " Come 

 along, children," and they set off again, scram- 

 bling over and around the twigs, each peeping 

 softly when he was getting along nicely, or 

 plaintively when he found himself caught in 

 some thicket. 



At last they came to a wide open place. It 

 was easy to travel here, but there was great 

 danger of Hawks. The mother rested long in 

 the edge of the thicket, and scanned the sky in 

 every direction before she ventured into the 

 open. Then, when all was clear, she marshalled 

 her little army for a dash over this great desert 

 of nearly one hundred yards. 



The little fellows bravely struggled after her, 

 their small yellow bodies raised at an angle, 

 and their tiny wings held out like arms as they 

 pushed along after " mother." 



She was anxious to finish it all at one dash, 

 but soon saw that that was hopeless. The 

 strongest of her brood could keep up with her, 

 but the others dragged in order of weakness. 

 The brood now formed a little procession over 

 twenty feet long, and the weakling was nearly 

 ten feet behind that again. 



200 



J 



