ky had banished its
stars.

My movements had, of course, alarmed the ducks. There were not many of
them, as I could judge by the whistling of their departing wings and by
the silvery furrows where they had left the water. It is curious how
strong the daylight must become before the eye can distinguish a duck in
flight. The comparative paucity of numbers, I reflected, was probably
due to the fact that the ducks used this pond merely as a loafing place
during the day. Therefore I should anticipate a good flight as soon as
feeding time should be over; especially as one end of the pond proved to
be fairly well sheltered from the high wind.

At once I set to work to build me a blind. This I constructed of
tumbleweed and willow shoots, with a lucky sagebrush as a good basis. I
made it thick below and thin on top, so I could crouch hidden, and rise
easily to shoot. Also I made it hastily, working away with a
concentration that would prove very valuable could it be brought to a
useful line of work. There can nothing equal the busyness of a man
hastening to perfect his arrangements before a flight of ducks is due to
start. Every few moments I would look anxiously up to see how things
were going with the morning. The light was indubitably increasing. That
is to say, I could make out the whole width of the pond, for example,
although the farther banks were still in silhouette, and the sky was
almost free of stars. Also the perpendicular plane of the mountains to
the west, in some subtle manner, was beginning to break. It was not yet
daylight; but the dawn was here.

I reached cautiously into one of the sacks and brought forth one of the
decoy ducks. Around his neck I buckled a little leather collar to a ring
in which had been attached a cord and weight. Then I cautiously waded
out and anchored him.

He was delighted, and proceeded immediately to take a bath, ducking his
head under and out again, ruffling his wings, and wagging his absurd
little tail. Apparently the whole experience was a matter of course to
him; but he was willing to show pleasure that this phase of it was over.
I anchored out his five companions, and then proceeded to arrange the
wooden decoys artistically around the outskirts. By now it was quite
genuinely early daylight. Three times the overhead whistle of wings had
warned me to hurry; and twice small flocks of ducks had actually swung
down within range only to discover me at the last moment and tower away