He could
scarcely stop to converse, evidently grudged the time, devotes his
entire energies from dawn to twilight to slaving for his eight hundred
ducklings. He also kept an incubator going all the time.
"Do ducks pay you?" I asked.
"Wall, I'm gettin' to be somewhat of a bigotist," he said; "I barely git
a livin'."
"Why Mr. Crankin--" I began.
The name roused his jealous ire, and his voice, a low mumble before, now
burst into a loud roar. "Yes, Crankin makes money, has a sight o'
incubators, makes 'em himself, sells a lot, but some say they don't act
like his do when they git off his place; most on 'em seem possessed, but
Crankin,
he can manage 'em and makes money too."
"Do your ducks lay much?"
"Lay! I don't want 'em to lay! Sell 'em all out at nine weeks, 'fore the
pin feathers come; then they're good eatin'--for them as likes 'em. I've
heard of yure old lot. Kill 'em, I say, and start new!"
"Crankin says--"
"I don't care nothing what Crankin says" (here the voice would have
filled a cathedral), "I tell ye; me and Crankin's two different
critters!"
So I felt; but it would not do to give up. I purchased an expensive
incubator and brooder--needn't have bought a brooder. I put into the
incubator at a time when eggs were scarce and high priced, two hundred
eggs--hens' eggs, ducks' eggs, goose eggs. The temperature must be kept
from 102 deg. to 104 deg.. The lamps blazed up a little on the first day, but
after that we kept the heat exactly right by daily watching and night
vigils.
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