THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



on a marshy strip of land the other side of the 

 woods, returned with a much-mutilated duck 

 in one hand and six eggs in his hat. Of course 

 it was against the game laws to keep the eggs, 

 but as the mother bird was lying dead close by 

 the nest, our friend thought it no crime to 

 bring the eggs home. I set them under a 

 broody hen; then drove to the game warden's, 

 showed hun the dead bird, explained how she 

 had been found, and gained his absolution. 



In twenty-three days the eggs hatched, and 

 the ducklings were as strong and contented 

 with the hen mother as a brood of Pekins 

 would have been. At first they had the same 

 custard and rice feed as the other young game 

 birds, supplemented by water from the marshy 

 land. A pan was sunk in the ground, near 

 the brood coop, and filled up at each feeding 

 time. A fresh supply being fetched up night 

 and morning, it contained innumerable water 

 creatures and some duckweed, which the little 

 fellows devoured eagerly. 



The hen was kept imprisoned in the brood 

 260 



