Muzzled Ducks

A basrgage man on the Santa Fewho rnns into Kausas City from out in the ■western part of Kansas bas lost lots of sleep. It isdoubtful if becan ever catch up with it. He leaves Hutchinson at uight and reachea Kansas City in the morning. Nearly every night he brings in nis car two or three coops of live domestic ducks. During the night, wheu he has no baggage to deliver at sruall stations, ithas been his habit and privilege to lie down on an iruprovised coueh aud doze. With the advent of theducks the dozing stopped. The almost constant quacking of the ducks, vfho could not understaud their strange environment, would not permit of sleep. For many nights as he lay awake he planued relief. Hethoughtof strangliug the ducks or chloroforiuing theru. But neither expedient seemed good. . One night a bright idea canje to hini. After he had put it into execution the ducks were silent. The next night he had two coops of unusually vociferous ducks. As soon as it carne time for sleep he wrenobed a slat from one of tbe coops, reached in and pulled out a duck. From his pocket he took a siuall rubber band, which he slipped over the duck's bill just back of the nostrils. The duck tried to quack, but the rubber band, while it stretched a little, would no.t permit the duck to open its bill far enough to usë its tongue. Ouly a murmnr carne from it. One by one tbe ducks were ruuzzled, and the baggage man rested comfortably. The commission men were surprised next morning when tbey received a lot of ducks with rubber bands around their bilis, and when the bands were removed the shouts of protest from tbe