Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-05-19
Ill,iltle k1ely He Lost U1ild
Duck. I
~
Il ! III

S I,siSe- ~
||ES We now felt tia Dicky ought tos
have q stantial breakfa IN because:
we knew that+he did not gu very much iii
TO eat; thesda before. softened some
bread n sweet cream and tried to feed
him & Howeye while Dicky Ii ew: yby
instinct How rs catch bugs 81 oft tIle
weeds, he did not lklno how ia eat
bread \, from 10 tooth pick. II ne ala e III
some SON but It Was slow work. Then it
struck Y me he might pick his fold out
|o q I, "a shallow dish 81 and this.
plan worked better. His instinct came an s
tx his assist lance. and It vas interest.
ing to watch him dabble about in the,
s i IL true duck fashion. IT was
not long before he had ashed out a
square breakfast {, and ::h,e conc lud ed sbys
trying & to to take = ssi I'M III the dist.
But now the questIo Oh came Us again
what To- DO III him We, had 10.
means of keeping him and caring for y
him 81 pernane emily tho farmer had no
flock lfls, ~ young ducks whichSh1es might
have joined AZ it Fas decided that the: 3tS
best thing to do was to let him GO III iii
(|my coat pocket ed him down tn
the lake shore Here Il picked u (. so 81 4
nice grass pom, where If light he
would have a good chance stto survive
and grow sat down on the mar lnl,a
gin Of the pond, reached out ny arm h.
Es.s ssfar: IS could. gently put little.
Dl.giIscky aaoat On the qluIiet pool and
started to#Walk away ss5s u .SS}
And then occurred one Of the most
touching ton scenes Il have ever wit nesses
In bird 81 animal life had expected
that Dicky would strike out TOR the:
middle Of the pond: He did nothing
Of the kind. y AS soon as. II turned he
I came swimming and running after me-
as fast as his little legs would work;
IA IN q most imp oring manner, entirely
different from the cont chirpi ill
Joes pocket, ne uttered his appealing
call SIS Oh, please dom t leave me, don't
go away, take me- with You! he seem
led to say. n. q ].
49, did not have the heart 5to leave him
but sat down to watch what he would
DO He began to feed at once, III run i.
ming about IS tie short grass I and
picking of numerous small ,Wahitish
| flies. Once or1sttwaice he caught q large
black fly. which seemed to have, q. bad
taste, for he shook his head violently,
lttherwg the hy out Of his bin and caught
no more Sof that kind Though the
linse cot was SO common and conspicu-
Gus. I stayed with him and watched
him feeding fully half an hour III
whatever direction / turned he quick
Iyy and $anxiously foil lowed ttering an
alarmed p1aintive Il peep, II II
STARTED suddenly TO the appeals of
lsuchS an innocent and pretttsy little creas
lure could do othing else but take
Thin back with me and RI turn him to
Joe. 3ss5S
B. The boy kept him ali day, alternate
~, athching him forage for insects
and having him sleep in his coat poe
ket. The little creature seemed to be
getting strong er5 from hour to hour
and ranged further, and I suggested
20 Joe that he fflix up some safe little
box SSfor: him for h the nig BIT.
had now ecided that We had to keep
| him and III vas afraid without some
lsome safe sleeping quarters We might
accid entIy hurt sor lose him.
}s After supper, several Of US sat talk
ling near some tall weeds and 5had Snot
4 though Dicky Tor about half al
hour. At the conclus ion on some story
/ Joe felt in his pocket Sffor BID
. S#s. oh, my little duck III gone. Dicky
lis gone! ,, be exclai med. We spent
lsome time looking and listening for
Thin |iui among the eeds. but Dicky Was
gone
may have worked his way TO
1.-THE lake shore where food was abun-
;I,dant and where, rs that time, his enc
lnies we're not numerous. Perhaps he
IeYen found his mot her again, ~ some
other mother duck & Allowed the little
/ orphan to Join her flock until he had
learned the man things 81 ducklins
must know efore he take care 81
himself
lIlTll
~ NJ 4 ID Ana II Il M, \, "a s III