The Mother Teal and the Overland Route 



lane. She made straight for it, joyfully calling, 

 " Come, my darlings! " 



But alas! the treeless opening was one of 

 the man-made things called a " cart-trail." On 

 each side of it were two deep-worn, endless canons 

 that man calls " wheel-ruts," and into the first of 

 these fell four of her brood. Five managed to 

 scramble across, but the other rut was yet deeper 

 and wider, and the five were there engulfed. 



Oh, dear, this was terrible! The little ones 

 were too weak now to climb out. The ruts 

 seemed endless in both directions, and the 

 mother did not know how to help them. She 

 and they were in despair, and as she ran about 

 calling and urging them to put forth all their 

 strength, there came up suddenly the very 

 thing she most feared, — the deadliest enemy of 

 Ducks, — a great tall man. 



Mother Green wing flung herself at his feet 

 and flopped on the grass. Not begging for 

 mercy! Oh, no! She was only trying to trick 

 the man into thinking she was wounded, so that 

 he would follow her, and she could lead him 

 away. 



But this man knew the trick, and he would 

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