210 WILD SPOETS IN THE SOUTH. 



to the very spot they were born on," replied Miss Jack- 

 son. 



" I trust they all won't get the chance," said the Doc- 

 tor, looking the way they went with covetous eyes. 



"Wall, that's easy enough done with the chance 

 they've got, stuck up higher en a meetin' house, a pros- 

 pectin' over the country ; they'd be booby birds to for- 

 git their own trail. The rub was to 'eve done it the fust 

 time, when it was all strange like." 



" They are always piloted by some old bird that has 

 been here before, I think," said Miss Jackson. 



" How do you know that. Miss Wiseacre ?" 



" By seemg the flock come straight for some favorite 

 feeding-ground, where they will always alight at nearly 

 the same tune every year. Now had there been no old 

 bird piloting them, they would have alit in open water 

 and found the feeding ground subsequently. 



" I shot in a flock ones't in the spring-time and winged 

 a young black duck," said Mike, pushing up his cap from 

 his face and spreading his arms out on the muzzle of his 

 rifle. " I tuck the thing hum and penned it up with the 

 tame ducks, and so I kept it all summer. When fall 

 cum the diver ducks kim fust, and then a purty considera- 

 ble shoAV of teal, but he didn't scrape his foot to them or 

 say one word. But airly one mornin' I heerd that duck 

 sittin' down by the bayou, quackin' away as ef he had 

 the pip in his gizzard ; (there comes a row o' black ducks 

 now.) Wall, I couldn't see what 'twas that bothered 

 him. I looked all around ; et was comin' on mornin' 



