„ was in a grassy little pond, shut in by high hills, 

 on the open moors of Nantucket. The pond 

 ^ TOildTiuck was in the middle of a plain, a hundred yards 

 from the nearest hill. No tree or rock or bush 

 offered any concealment to an enemy; the 

 ducks could sleep there as sure of detecting 

 the approach of danger as if on the open 

 ocean. 



One autumn day I passed the place and, 

 looking cautiously over the top of a hill, saw a 

 single black duck swim out of the water grass. 

 After a few minutes of watching, he went 

 into the grass again, and I started to creep 

 down the hill, keeping my eyes intently 

 on the pond. Halfway down, another duck 

 appeared, and I dropped flat on the hillside 

 in plain sight. Of course the duck noticed 

 the unusual object. There was a commotion 

 in the grass ; heads came up here and there. 

 The next moment, to my great astonishment, 

 fully fifty black ducks were swimming about 

 in the greatest uneasiness. 



I lay very still and watched. Five min- 

 utes passed ; then quite suddenly all motion 

 ceased in the pond ; every duck sat with neck 



