THE HUNT FOR MR. QUACK


In spite of her hopelessness in regard to Mr. Quack, there is no
doubt that Mrs. Quack felt better that night after she had eaten
the corn left among the rushes of the Smiling Pool by Farmer Brown's
boy. Now she had that very comfortable feeling that goes with a
full stomach, she could think better. As the Black Shadows crept
across the Smiling Pool, she turned over in her mind Sammy Jay's
plan for helping her the next day. The more she thought about it,
the better it seemed, and she began to feel a little ashamed that
she had not appeared more grateful to Sammy when he told her. At
the time she had been tired and hungry and discouraged. Now she
was beginning to feel rested, and she was no longer hungry. These
things made all the difference in the world. As she thought over
Sammy's plan, she began to feel a little hope, and when at last
she put her head under her wing to go to sleep, she had made up
her mind that the plan was worth trying, and that she would do her
part.

Bright and early the next morning, Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow
were in the Big Hickory-tree near the Smiling Pool ready to start
for the Big River to hunt for Mr. Quack. Peter Rabbit had been so
afraid that he would miss something that he had stayed near the
Smiling Pool all night, so he was on hand to see the start.

It had been agreed that Mrs. Quack was to go to a certain place on
the Big River and then swim up as far as she thought it would be
of any use. She was to stay in the middle of the river, where she
would be quite safe from hunters with terrible guns, and where also