that many a heedless young Duck has discovered the difference when
it was too late. Then, too, he will swim under water and come up
underneath and seize you without any warning. He has the biggest
mouth I've ever seen, with terrible-looking teeth, and could swallow
me whole."

[Illustration with caption: "Some folks call him Alligator and some
just 'Gator."]

By this time Peter's eyes looked as if they would fall out of his
head. "What is his name?" whispered Peter.

"It's Old Ally the 'Gator," replied Mrs. Quack. "Some folks call
him Alligator and some just 'Gator, but we call him Old Ally. He's a
very interesting old fellow. Some time perhaps I'll tell you more
about him. Mr. Quack and I kept out of his reach, you may be sure.
We lived quietly and tried to get in as good condition as possible
for the long journey back to our home in the North. When it was
time to start, a lot of us got together, just as we did when we came
down from the North, only this time the young Ducks felt themselves
quite grown up. In fact, before we started there was a great deal
of love-making, and each one chose a mate. That was a very happy
time, a very happy time indeed, but it was a sad time too for us
older Ducks, because we knew what dreadful things were likely to
happen on the long journey. It is hard enough to lose father or
mother or brother or sister, but it is worse to lose a dear mate."

Mrs. Quack's eyes suddenly filled with tears again. "Oh, dear,"
she sobbed, "I wish I knew what became of Mr. Quack."