Merganser. 29 



dog's life of it, notwithstanding his gay appearance. 

 An hundred guns are roaring at him wlierever he 

 goes. From dayhght to dark he has never a minute 

 to eat his bit of fish, or to take a wink of sleep in 

 peace. He flies to the ocean, and beds with his fel- 

 lows on the broad open shoals for safety. But the 

 east winds blow; and the shoals are a yeasty mass 

 of tumbling breakers. They buffet him about; they 

 twist his gay feathers ; they dampen his pinions, spite 

 of his skill in swimming. Then he goes to the creeks 

 and harbors. 



Along the shore a flock of his own kind, apparently, 

 are feeding in quiet water. Straight in he comes ^\•ith 

 unsuspecting soul, the morning light shining full on 

 his white breast and bright red feet as he steadies 

 himself to take the water. But bang, bano! go the 

 guns; and splash, splash! fall his companions; and 

 out of a heap of seaweed come a man and a dog; 

 and away he goes, sadly puzzled at the painted 

 things in the water, to think it all over in hunger 

 and sorrow. 



Then the weather grows cold, and a freeze-up 

 covers all his feeding grounds. Under his beautiful 

 feathers the bones project to spoil the contour of his 

 round plump body. He is famished now ; he watches 

 the gulls to see what they eat. When he finds out, he 

 forgets his caution, and roams about after stray mus- 



