308 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



and in others they were scattered pretty generally 

 over the ice. 



The decoy-man quickly twisted the stick back 

 to its original position, and the peep-hole instantly 

 closed. Creeping stealthily forward, he gave his 

 dog a piece of bread, and sent it through the hole 

 in the reed screen, beyond the head show place, 

 and glided swiftly and silently back. The dog and 

 he appeared to meet at the head show place at the 

 same moment. It jumped over, and, taking a piece 

 of bread from its master's hand, jumped back 

 again, and directly afterwards appeared at the 

 next opening, between the zigzag screens. After 

 this performance had been repeated several times, 

 and the decoy-man had thrown sundry handfuls of 

 grain from his jacket pocket into the pipe, he 

 stopped and peeped through one of the screens. 

 A number of wildfowl had followed his dog out 

 of curiosity, or his lure birds after the grain, and, 

 darting through a gap in the outer screen, he ran 

 back at great speed to the head show place, and 

 frantically waved a large red cotton handkerchief. 

 There was instantly a great splatter and commotion, 

 and the decoy-man raced like mad from one show 

 place to another, giving his handkerchief a flick at 

 each as he passed. 



The poor Ducks flew straight on, heads to wind, 

 no doubt thinking that just round the bend in the 

 little creek was an open glade in the woodland 

 leading to freedom and safety, but, alas! the fatal 

 pipe narrowed, and the much-dreaded man followed, 

 with his waving sheet of flaming red ; there was 

 no retreat, and on they went pell-mell, frantically 

 hustling each other to get through the little hole 

 at the end to find themselves in a treacherous 

 cul-de-sac. 



