The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-26

SMELL THE CRATURs BREATH.
more than ordinarily amiable. Little
Mike lay down bohind currant bush
and awaited developments. Meanwhile
the two women had gone into tho kitch-
en-, where Mrs. Finn exclaimed:
81 hope you didn't pisen the ducks,
Mrs. O'Brion. 1t 'ud be a shame to
waste all that duck mate. Flannigan's
poor"
Don't l know he is" replied Mrs.
O'Brien. "But We needn't worry yer
sell. Divil's tho harm'll come to thin
ducks"
"Fwhat did you give thim?" asked
Mrs. Finn, in a wheedling tone.
Didn't ye see me givin' thin soaked
crackers, aoushla! Be aisy now for a
few minutes and yell see somethin' as'll
make you burst your apron strings wild
laughin'."
When the ducks went through the
fence into Flannigan's yard they had
marched In the customary single file.
But when they filed out into the door
yard they broke ranks and fell into dis
order. The drake began to quack louder
than usual and to be moro than usually
demonstrative in his marks of affection
Somehow his quack was unnatural. 1t
began with protracted ''qua," and
endcd suddenly with eek" which was
explosive. The ducks, too, acted queer
ly. Some Of them leaned against the
fence in negligent, careless attitudes,
and their voices were quiet and sub
dued. Others swayed little as they
walked and leaned against each other
fOr hot, I, L.
together and nodded sleepily. At last
the drake staggered to the middle OF the
yard, tapped his wings, and, with ono
despairing squawk, gently rolled over on
his back. The ducks, as II sympathiz-
ing with their leader, all followed his
example, and. waddling serenely and
vacuously to the side of tho drake, gave
up the attempt to walk and lay down
with their feet in tho air.
BY this time the Flanagan family
had become alarmed. They rushed to
the door in body, and gazcd in aston
ishment and dismay at the picture of ten
ducks and drake all lying upon their
backs in the yard, each waving it's
webbed feet gently back and forth, and
all of them uttering in n chorus:
"Quack, quack, quack!" which died
away in graceful diminuendo, only to
be resumed again with recovered
breath.
Mrs Flanagan picked up ono of tho
/ ducks. As it lay on her arms its head
| hung backward over her arm, as if the
bird was just about to waddle into
eternity
bad luck to thin as pizcned We, mo
darlint," said Mrs. Flanagan. as the
! tears ran down her checks. s'Oh, what
shall do, what shall do, whin have
no more duck eggs OF Sunda'?"
Meanwhile Mr.. Flanagan had como
homo. lie proved himself to be a man
/ of action.
Mickey" he said to little Mike, who
was looking over tho fence with mock
concern on his face. run and get your
putty blowcr"
Turning to his wife he exclaimed:
go in the house, woman, and bring
out the salaratus."
BY this time the ducks had all become
quiet. Their wings were outspread and
they lay as'if dead. When the salaratus
and the putty blower wero handed to
him Mr.. Flanagan took the ducks one
by one upon his lap and blew teaspoon
full of saleratus down their throats with
the putty-blower. There was no per-
ceptible effect from this course Of treat
ment for nearly twenty minutes. Then
the drake slowly opened his eyes and
emitted a gently protesting quack,
which revived hope in tho breast of
Mrs. Flanagan. Slowly the drake came
back to life. His quacl1 gradually be-
came stronger, and at last, with n su-
preme effort, he rolled upon his feet and
began in maudlin and uncertain way
TO prcen his rumpled plumagc One by
one tho ducks assumed u dccorous atti-
tude until they were all back upward.
AS the last one rcgained its feet Mr..
Flanagan picked it up and handed it to
his wife, saying:
"Smell tho cratur's BREATH
Mrs Flanagan put tho ducks bill
close to her nose and shifted long and
carefully.
at seems to me, Patsy, that smellcd
something like that beforc'
Faith you did, thin" said Mr.. Elan
nigan, whose suspicious had been awal1-
ened by tho antics of tho ducks. ''If
that amt Brady's poor whisky I'll alto