standing straight up from the water, looking 



directly at me. So still were they that one 



could easily have mistaken them for stumps ^ tOi'/d "Duck 



or peat bogs. After a few minutes of this 



kind of watching they seemed satisfied, and 



glided back, a few at a time, into the grass. 



When all were gone I rolled down the hill 

 into some tall grass at the edge of a little 

 run. Then it was easier to advance without 

 being discovered ; for whenever a duck came 

 out to look round — which happened almost 

 every minute at first — I could drop into the 

 grass and be out of sight. 



In half an hour I had gained the edge of 

 a low bank, well covered by coarse water 

 grass. Just below me, within six feet, was a 

 big drake, with head drawn down so close to 

 his body that I wondered what he had done 

 with his neck. His eyes were closed ; he 

 was fast asleep. In front of him were eight 

 or ten more ducks, close together, all with 

 heads under their wings. Scattered about 

 in the grass everywhere were small groups, 

 sleeping, or pluming their glossy dark 

 feathers. 



