r flight took wing;
and then after an interval a third. The air all around seemed full of
ducks circling in and out the limited range of vision before finally
taking their departure.

Mr. Kincaid, however, pushed forward without paying the slightest
attention to this abundance. Fifteen or twenty yards out in the pond he
brought the boat to a stand-still by thrusting his punting-pole far down
into the mud.

"We're here, Bobby," he said in a guarded tone. "Turn around very
carefully, take off your mittens and help me put out the decoys."

"My, there's a lot of 'em," ventured Bobby in a whisper.

"Yes, this is called the Mud Hen Hole. It's the best place in the
marshes. Quick! Get to work! It's getting near daylight!"

Bobby helped unwind the cords from around the necks of the decoys and
drop them overboard. Mr. Kincaid moved the boat here and there,
scattering the flock in a life-like manner. The gray daylight was coming
stronger every instant. Even while they worked in plain sight, big
flocks of teal and blue-bill stooped toward them and whirled around them
with a rush of wings.

"They're awful close!" whispered Bobby excitedly, "why don't you shoot?"

"Hurry!" commanded Mr. Kincaid.

When the last decoy was out, he thrust the boat hastily into the thick
reeds where already a blind had been constructed quite simply by
thickening the natural growth. "Crouch down!" whispered Mr. Kincaid;
"and don't move a muscle!"

Bobby crouched, drawing his head between his shoulders like a
mud-turtle. Curly crouched too. Above and around was the continued
whistle of wings as the wildfowl, with their strange, early-morning
persistence, insisted on returning to the spot whence they had been so
lately disturbed. A movement shook the boat as Mr. Kincaid arose to his
feet.

_Bang! Bang!_ spoke both barrels of the ten-gauge.

"Two," said Mr. Kincaid in his natural voice.

"Kneel around to face the decoys, Bobby, and you can see. But when I say
'mark,' don't move by a hair's breadth."

Bobby shifted position and found that he could see quite easily through
the interstices of the reeds. On the pond, silvered bright by the
increasing day, the decoys floated snugly. Even at close range Bobby was
surprised at their life-like appearance. Among them floated two ducks,
white bellies to the sky. This was all Bobby had time to observe for the
moment.

"Mark!" warned Mr. Kincaid behind him.

A tremendous tenseness fell on the world.