The Mother Teal and the Overland Route 



And they never knew that death in another 

 form had hovered on their track. A Red Fox 

 crossed the trail of the little Duck army. His 

 keen nose told him at once that here was a 

 feast awaiting, and all he had to do was follow 

 it up and eat. So he sneaked softly and swiftly 

 along their well-marked trail He was already 

 in sight of them. In the ordinary course he 

 soon would have them, mother and all, but the 

 ordinary course may go askew. He was near 

 enough to count the little marchers, if count he 

 could, when the wind brought something which 

 made him stop, crouch low, then, at a surer 

 whiff, he slunk away, fled as swiftly as he could 

 without being seen. And the realest danger, 

 surest death of all that had threatened, was 

 thwarted by an unseen power, and not even the 

 watchful Mother Duck had the slightest hint of it. 



Ill 



The little ones now toddled along after their 

 mother, who led them quickly to cross the 

 opening. To her delight, a long arm of the 

 pond was quite close, just across that treeless 



203 



