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 
whcre 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! 
they may be in greater danger than our poor 
