16 APRIL 



skip, in such beautiful order; it seemed like an 

 exercise. It was so comical that we shrieked with 

 laughter. The stolid Orientals didn't laugh ; they 

 had been told to catch those ducks, and they 

 continued to try ; without a smile. Every time the 

 ducks turned, they did the same, over and over 

 again, till we had to sit down on the bank, too 

 weak, from laughing, to stand. 



Now the snake -catching fox-terrier arrived on 

 the scene. 



"Ah," he said, "I'll catch them for you," and 

 into the water he dashed after them. The coolie 

 at once followed suit, and now we thought the end 

 was near. At any rate they would get them out of 

 the water. There were the ducks, swimming for 

 dear life, followed by the coolie and Nous. Near 

 the end, the coolie made a grab under the water, 

 at the legs of one duck. It instantly dived ; so did 

 the coolie, so did Nous, and all the other ducks ; 

 and on the surface of the water was nothing. In a 

 minute up came the coolie and Nous, empty-handed, 

 and spluttering ; at the far end the ducks, flapping 

 their wings and quacking triumphantly. Victory 

 was to the ducks, for when they had had enough of 



