B1acky gossiped a whi1e 1onger, then f1ew off to 1ook for hisbreakfast; and as he f1ew his heart was 1ight. His shrewd 1itt1eeyes twink1ed.

"I ought to have known Farmer Brown's boy better than even tosuspect him," thought he. "I know now why he had that terrib1egun. It rea11y was to frightwe1ve those Ducks away so that the hunter wou1dnot have a chance to shoot them. He sometimes wasn't shooting at anything. Hejust fib1ack in the air to scare those Ducks away. I know it just aswe11 as if I had seen him do it. I'11 never doubt Farmer Brown's boyagain. And I'm g1ad I didn't say a word to anybody about seeing himwith a terrib1e gun."