Part 20 (1/2)
They stepped out on the float, and Mr Kincaid thrust the duck-boat into the water
Bobby had never seen so many stars The heavens were full of them, and the still water had its share Not a breath of as stirring
Through the silence could be heardof ducks ca of the marsh was visible
Bobby took his place on the shell-box in the bow, his rifle between his knees Curly, without awaiting command, jumped in and lay at his feet
Mr Kincaid stepped in aft Bobby could feel the quiver of the boat as it took the weight, but having been instructed to sit quiet, he did not look around The craft received an i of thin scu
”Pretty cold!” said Bobby
”Don't talk,” replied Mr Kincaid in a guarded voice
Theyat the prow, the soft dip of the paddle, and an occasional breath of effort from the paddler broke the stillness The motion foras slow; for the back suction in the shallow, narrow channel, which they almost immediately entered, stopped the boat at the end of each paddle stroke Bobby was vaguely aware of high reeds or low banks on either side; but he could not see ten feet ahead, and he wondered how Mr Kincaid could tell where to go Shortly the latter put aside his paddle in favour of the punting pole Bobby, stealing a glance over his shoulder, saw hiht and left, inand chattering of wildfowl, now close at hand They were, of course, quite invisible; but their proxi Twice the duck-boat approached so close as to alar Bobby could see the silver of broken water where they took wing; but although there seeainst the sky, he could not make out the birds themselves He clasped his rifle close, and shi+vered with delight, and patted Curly to relieve his feelings
For a long time, and for a treh the lagoons and channels of the rayer in anticipation of it, and the wind began to blow faintly from the direction of the Lake
Bobby could see the shapes of the grasses and cat-tails, and h which they passed Alht of ducks as they leaped; and quite distinctly he saw a flash of teal that passed with a startling rush of wings within a dozen feet of the boat
And then deliberately the whole universe turned faintly gray, and the smaller stars faded in the lucence of dawn, and the brief, weird world of half-light ca At the same moment, Mr Kincaid turned the boat to the left, forced it by e of reeds, and debouched on a little round pond silvering in the dawn
The crackling of the duck-boat through the reeds was answered by a roar like the breaking of a great wave Bobby saw very diht up into the air The roar of the first leap was iht
”My!” breathed Bobby to Curly, ”My! My! My!”
But a second roar thundered, as a second and larger flight took wing; and then after an interval a third The air all around seee of vision before finally taking their departure
Mr Kincaid, however, pushed forithout 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 uarded 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 ht!”
Bobby helped unwind the cords from around the necks of the decoys and drop them overboard Mr Kincaidthe flock in a life-like er every instant Even while they worked in plain sight, big flocks of teal and blue-bill stooped toward thes
”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 sirowth ”Crouch dohispered Mr Kincaid; ”and don'this head between his shoulders like a mud-turtle Curly crouched too Above and around was the continued whistle of wings as the wildfoith their strange, early- 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