February, 
1914 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
The boy liked lo bring together different species of birds and cultivate race hatred. He once promoted a debate between two blues and a water turkey, which would have 
been a credit to a political convention” 
one is left; and see, he couldn’t fly—he has fallen plunk into the 
water!” 
"Not much did he fall—that was his way of diving. You watch 
the water for a few minutes and you will see his head.” 
“I’ve looked for an age and I don’t—yes, I do. I see his little 
head and a bill like a bodkin and a neck that is as slim as my 
finger.” 
“You won’t get a picture of him, but there are some young 
pelicans on that coral reef which may pose for you, if you won’t 
even think aloud while I paddle you to them.” 
“I won’t even wink till you tell me to press the button.” 
"I won't speak, but when I think the time has come I’ll give 
the canoe a tiny shake.” 
“Suppose I don’t notice the shake?” 
“Why, child, you will be so keyed up with excitement that I 
am more afraid of your screaming and dropping the camera than 
of your not noticing.” 
“You needn’t worry. I’m not going to get excited.” 
But she did, and when fifty yards from the pelicans whispered 
a request to be allowed to fire. At thirty yards she repeated the 
request so loudly that the pelicans heard and, becoming uneasy, 
began to walk away, whereupon I threatened that if she spoke 
again I would capsize the canoe and give her and her camera a 
salt water soaking. Thereafter we advanced silently and so slowly 
that the casual observer could not have told that we were mov¬ 
ing. Soon the distance between us and the quarry was sixty feet, 
and the child was shaking with excitement but dared not speak. 
At fifty feet distance the game was getting uneasy and three peli¬ 
cans looked inquiringly at one another as they fidgeted about. At 
forty feet I was nervous myself, the hands that held the paddles 
trembled, and I was glad that Marion couldn't see my face, while 
at about thirty 
feet the shaking 
of the canoe co¬ 
incided with the 
click of the 
shutter and the 
hasty flight of 
the birds. 
“Would you 
really have 
swamped the 
canoe as you 
threatened if I 
had spoken 
again ? I came 
near doing it a 
hundred times!” 
“Surest thing 
you know,” I re¬ 
plied, quieting 
my conscience 
with the thousrht 
that she ” really 
