210 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



the crowing of several fine cocks, the cackling 

 of many hens and chickens, and the paddling, 

 splashing, and quacking of a hundred old and 

 young ducks would please his ears; and by 

 stealing to the edge of the bank of stones, with 

 his body nearly concealed between two large 

 pieces of broken granite, he could look around 

 and see the unsuspecting ducks within a yard 

 or two of his lurking place. When thus on the 

 look out, dodging his head backward and for- 

 ward, he waits until one of them has approached 

 close to him, and then with a rush seizes the 

 bird by the neck, and in a moment disappears 

 with it between the rocks. He has not, how- 

 ever, escaped unobserved, and like other rogues 

 deserves to be punished for having taken what 

 did not belong to him. We draw near the spot, 

 gun in hand, and after waiting some time in vain 

 for the appearance of the mink, we cause some 

 young ducks to be gently driven down to the 

 pond — diving for worms or food of various 

 kinds while danger so imminent is near them — 

 intent only on the objects they are pursuing, 

 they turn not a glance toward the dark crevice 

 where we can now see the bright eyes of the 

 mink as he lies concealed. The unsuspecting 

 birds remind us of some of the young folks in 

 that large pond we call the world, where, alas I 

 they may be in greater danger than our poor 



