CHAPTER XXVIII : Blacky Has A Talk With Dusky The Black Duck Doubt not a friend , but to the last Grip hard on faith and hold it fast . -- Blacky the Crow . Every morning Blacky the Crow visited the rushes along the shore of the Big River , hoping to find Dusky the Black Duck . He was anxious , was Blacky . He feared that Dusky or some of his flock had been killed , and he wanted to know . You see , he knew that Farmer Brown 's boy had been shooting over there . At last , early one morning , he found Dusky and his flock in the rushes and wild rice . Eagerly he counted them . There were nine . Not one was missing . Blacky sighed with relief and dropped down on the shore close to where Dusky was taking a nap . `` Hello ! '' said Blacky . Dusky awoke with a start . `` Hello , yourself , '' said he . `` I 've heard a terrible gun banging over here , and I was afraid you or some of your flock had been shot , '' said Blacky . `` We have n't lost a feather , '' declared Dusky . `` That gun was n't fired at us , anyway . '' `` Then who was it fired at ? '' demanded Blacky .
`` I have n't the least idea , '' replied XXXXX .
Blacky Brown Crow Dusky River XXVIII boy gun morning start