ver the
reedy waste.

"Yes; I can see his old fox-skin cap. He's coming safe enough."

"Oh, Dick!" cried his companion.

"Well! What?"

"The powder. You've never given him the powder, and he'll be as gruff
as can be. Has he had the horn?"

"Had two," said Dick, watching the approaching punt, which was still
half a mile away, and being poled steadily in and out of the winding
water-lane, now hidden by the dry rustling reeds which stood covered
with strands of filmy conferva or fen scum.

"But he hasn't had the powder we promised him."

"No," said Dick loftily; "not yet."

"Why, you haven't brought it, Dick!"

"Haven't brought it, indeed! Why, what's this, then?"

He drew a bottle from his pocket, took out the cork, and poured a little
of its contents into his hand--dry, black grains, like so much sable
sand, and then poured it back and corked it tightly.

"You are a good fellow, Dick; but I haven't paid my share."

"I don't want your share," said Dick loftily. "Father gave me
half-a-crown the other day."

"I wish my father gave me half-crowns sometimes," sighed Tom; "but he
isn't so rich as yours."

"There, don't bother about money!" cried Dick. "Let's think about the
birds. Hooray! here he comes! Hi, Dave!"

Sound travels easily over water, and the decoy-man must have heard the
hail, but he paid no heed, only kept on poling his punt along, thrusting
down the long ash sapling, which the fen-men used as punt-pole, staff,
and leaping-pole in turn; and then as the boat glided on, standing erect
in her bows like some statue.

"Now, what a dried-up old yellow mummy he is!" cried Dick. "He can see
us, but he's pretending he can't, on purpose to tease us. Look at that!
He needn't have gone behind that great reed patch. It's to make us
think he is going down to your place."

"Let's run down and meet him," said Tom eagerly.

"No, no; stop where you are. If he sees us go down there he'll double
back directly and come here. He's just like an old fox. I know. Come
along!"

Dick started up and ran in the same direction as Dave had taken with the
punt before he disappeared behind the reed-bed. Tom followed, and they
raced on along the edge till a clump of alders was reached.

"Pst! Tom, round here," whispered Dick; and leading the way he doubled
back, following the long low bed of swamp-loving wood, and keeping in
its shelter till they were once more opposite to the spot where Dave
should h