152 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



reaching across the benign face of Sol! One 

 lingering, but very canny survey of that lovely 

 congregation of several hundred ducks was all I 

 dared; then I lay and waited. But when at 

 six o'clock, and still cloudy, I stood up among 

 the throng I was not in the right frame of 

 mind to crawl away again without disturbing 

 them, as I did once before and scared those 

 Webfeet so that they fell over themselves in 

 their haste to get under way, then turned and 

 lugged my outfit homeward, I was fully con- 

 vinced that at least one old proverb positively 

 lied! 



