A DANGEROUS RAID 129 



of the reeds, the plaints of the cubs. On hearing 

 the pitiful cries, the mother, her maternal in- 

 stincts stirred, quickened her pace in a succession 

 of leaps that gave her the lead, which she main- 

 tained until the sight of the cottage brought her 

 to a standstill and her mate to her side ; then, 

 with their necks raised like little watch-towers, 

 their keen eyes reconnoitred the enemy's dwell- 

 ing. Nobody stirred, no light showed ; the 

 whistling wind favoured them ; all seemed pro- 

 pitious, and they drew near the duck-house. 

 Within a few yards of the door they suddenly 

 halted, turning their heads towards the cottage. 

 But it was a needless alarm ; the noise that 

 scared them was only the scraping of the wall by 

 the branch of a medlar- tree. The instant they 

 discovered the cause of their hesitation they 

 stepped forward, and put their noses to the crack 

 at the bottom of the door. The scent of the 

 birds within nearly drove the starving creatures 

 mad. But how were they to get at them? 

 Though only a wooden partition separated them 

 from the savoury prey, it was enough. They 

 never thought of biting through it ; to crawl 

 under or dig their way in was impossible, and 

 the aperture at the top seemed out of their reach. 

 Nevertheless, this opening was their only chance 



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