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to share these viands, prepared for you by the capable spouse of the worthy Bean, with the finny folk in the waters below us.
    â€œYou are indeed an accomplished porker,” he went on, as they swung the hamper to the floor. “I feared for a time that my errand was in vain.”
    â€œYou’re pretty accomplished yourself,” said Freddy modestly; “and pretty kind, too, to take all this trouble for us.” He was so hungry that he could hardly talk, but he felt it wouldn’t be very polite to start eating until he had thanked Breckenridge.
    But the eagle snatched the napkin off the hamper with his beak. “Your courtesy,” he said, “should be a lesson to all quadrupeds. But now let courtesy give place to appetite.”
    There was a note under the napkin. It said:
    Dear Freddy:
    I am sending just what I could get together quickly. I would have baked a cake, but if you are hungry you would not want to wait. Come home as soon as you can. We miss you. Mr. Bean sends kindest regards .
    Your friend ,
    Mrs. Bean .
    â€œWell, that is nice,” said Freddy. “And now what have we got? H’m, cookies, doughnuts, peach preserves, a pail of milk, deviled eggs—” But I am sorry to say that when he had got this far in his catalogue of the hamper’s contents, his mouth was so full that the rest of what he said was not understandable.
    The ducks had overcome their fear of the eagle, and they each began nibbling a cookie.
    â€œWon’t you join us, Mr. Breckenridge?” said Emma timidly.
    â€œI would consider it an honor,” replied the eagle, and immediately gobbled up six deviled eggs, one after the other, whole. “Very tasty,” he remarked, and ate four doughnuts. “A most accomplished culinary artist, the excellent Mrs. Bean,” he added, and spearing a jelly sandwich with his beak, tossed it in the air, caught it and swallowed it in one motion.
    â€œHow clever!” exclaimed Emma. She tried to do the same trick, but the sandwich flew out of her bill and over the side.
    She tried to do the same trick …
    â€œCareful,” said Freddy. “We may be up here a long time, and we’ll need all this food.”
    But the eagle, flattered by Emma’s admiration, continued to do the trick until eight jelly sandwiches, four bananas, and six slabs of gingerbread had disappeared.
    Freddy began to be worried. At this rate they’d be out of supplies again before supper time. Yet he didn’t like to say anything, when Breckenridge had been so helpful. Fortunately the eagle himself began to realize that he was eating more than his share, and suddenly putting down a cinnamon bun that he was about to toss up, he said with some embarrassment: “My good friends, I make you my apologies. I am presuming upon your hospitality.”
    â€œNot at all, not at all,” said Freddy. “It is a very slight return for your great kindness.”
    â€œYou are the very pattern of politeness,” replied Breckenridge, and for several minutes they continued to exchange compliments. It was probably one of the most polished exchanges which has ever taken place in a balloon. Indeed Freddy was so exceedingly courteous that he almost persuaded the eagle to eat up the rest of the provisions. At this point, luckily, Alice interposed. Perhaps, she suggested, they could make Breckenridge some return for his service which would be not quite as ordinary as just something to eat.
    Freddy couldn’t think of any reward for any service which could be better than something to eat, but he saw the point. “I have it,” he said. “I will write another verse for him to my Ode to the Eagle.”
    Breckenridge was delighted with the idea, and Freddy, who was always at his best as a poet after a good meal, began thinking. And in a few minutes had his verse.
    â€œ The fearless eagle cleaves the stormy air;
    With mighty wings he sweeps the clouds