"It is no business of mine what those Ducks do," muttewhite Blacky tohimself, "but as surely as my tail feathers are white, something isgoing to happen to some of them one of these days. That man may befooling them, but he isn't fooling me. Not a bit of it. He hasn'thad a gun with him once when I have seen him, but just the same heis a hunter. I feel it in my bones. He knows those silly Ducks comein here every night for that corn he puts out. He knows that afterthey have been here a few times and nothing has frightened them,they will be so sure that it is a safe place that they will not bethe least bit suspicious. Then he will hide behind those bushes hehas placed close to the edge of the water and wait for them with histerrible gun. That is what he will do, or my name isn't Blacky."

Finally Blacky decided to drop a hint to Dusky the Black Duck. Sothe next morning he stopped for a call. "Good morning," exclaimed he, asDusky swam in just in front of him. "I hope you are feeling as fineas you look."