Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-08

them the rowboat leapine over the water
as fast as powerful strokes could urge II,
The mother duck was iu the lond She
was of the species known ns the Hooded
Mcrgon2cr, aud her beautiful crest and
wonderful markings. the superb military
precision of her actions I'm her efforts 10
escape, aud at the same time cover the
escape of her brood, her seli-control in
the midst Of danger. commanded the
admiration Of every man OF rs.
Don't shoot cried our host IN tones
which echoed over The waters. Let her
alone. See, the mother can escape, but
she won't leave her babies. Let them
alone
The ducks passed on. The mother
duck invariably gave her command IN
two strangely sounding quncks then with
Tapping wings aud feet which did not
paddle the water. but rather whipped IL
with singular rapidity, scurrled ahead
for ten or fifteen rods az fcartul rate.
With her more powerful flight the dis
tnnce between her aud the chicks would
be Increased, but every time she would
stop aud paddle without using her wings,
or she would turn and wait until they
had Oyertaken her. Permitting the little
birds 10 rest for about three seconds, the
twin cry Of warning aud command would
again be given, and away they would 20
on another squirt, tapping their WINGS
and whipping the water with their feet
as before
They rounded the head Of the island.
passing not twenty f"t from the base
of the rocks below u.s. then SET of With
precisely the same procedure In "a direct
line for Otter island some i've miles
away 10 the southwest We watched
them with our glaHscs and until they
were out Of sight the same tactics were
INDUCED in. The splaHhinR made in the
water rendered their pathway liRgcrnble
for more than half or two-thirds the way,
aud Ia the entire distance they lid rot
seem 10 vary an inch from an absolutely
straight line.
The boat party had found them about
q mile and "a half away on the northern
side OF the island and had ondaaY0red
10 capture them, but their mechnnics Of
locomoion, although apparently 80 1rnt-
| icalS used, continually prevented their
being oyeriaken, although the boat was
light the oars strong and the men eager
to secure a prize.
We were discussing the bravery uId
skill Of the mother bird when some one
shouted: "Sec. there are three chicks
left behindw "Let them nlonoi rang
| out n stern cOmmand, They'll dive and
| you'll lose them Il you Try to yet them,
and they are too young 10 shoot Cor
game" The whole eleven Of az sat on
| the rocks ami watched developments.
| Instead Of rounding the island, as the
mother dnek had done. the little l0s.lings
kept straight on ia the direction they
/ evidently were taking when they were
scattered and lost sight OF their comDun-
| ions They did not flutler along by The
use Of wings an feet combined, az the
| first flock commanded BY the mother
| duck had done; these simply paddlrd,
/ yet made remarkably good rinir, and
| were soon some eighty or luu rods away.
| The lake was Ike gllsicning mirror
and we could nvtc every action With
ease. They were moving on toward tho
open water. but evidently keeping q
| sharp lookout ANA while sc syiupafhized
with tllem IN THEW loneliness, We watched
eagerly io see n they would take d
| 60, rise toward their fortunate eOmpan'
| ions
suddenly from over the waters there
came sOlfarg duck lying Oh rapid
| wing az an altitude Of probably nfiy
feet above the surince Of the lake.
'Sce there COMES back the mother
duck after them
Sure enough. Is was the mother duck