there was no one there. The hunter looked both glad and
disappointed. He went back to his own blind and sat down, and while he
watched for the coming of the Ducks, he also watched that other blind to
see if the unknown hunter of the night before would appear. Of course
he didn't, and when at last the hunter saw the Ducks coming, he was sure
that this time he would get some of them.

But the same thing happened as on the night before. Just as those Ducks
were almost near enough, a gun went "bang, bang," and away went the
Ducks. They didn't come back again, and once more a disappointed hunter
went home without any.

The next afternoon he was on hand very early. He was there before Farmer
Brown's boy arrived, and when he did come, of course the hunter saw him.
He walked down to where Farmer Brown's boy was hiding in the rushes.
"Hello!" said he. "Are you the one who was shooting here last night and
the night before?"

Farmer Brown's boy grinned. "Yes," said he.

"What luck did you have?" asked the hunter.

"Fine," replied Farmer Brown's boy.

"How many Ducks did you get?" asked the hunter.

Farmer Brown's boy grinned more broadly than before. "None," said he. "I
guess I'm not a very good shot."

"Then what did you mean by saying you had fine luck?" demanded the
hunter.

"Oh," replied Farmer Brown's boy, "I had the luck to see those Ducks and
the fun of shooting," and he grinned again.

The hunter lost patience. He tried to order Farmer Brown's boy away. But
the latter said he had as much right there as the hunter had, and the
hunter knew that this was so. Finally he gave up, and muttering
angrily, he went back to his blind. Again the gun of Farmer Brown's boy
frightened away the Ducks just as they were coming in.

The next afternoon there was no hunter nor the next, though Farmer
Brown's boy was there. The hunter had decided that it was a waste of
time to hunt there while Farmer Brown's boy was about.

CHAPTER XXVIII: Blacky Has A Talk With Dusky The Black Duck

Doubt not a friend, but to the last
Grip hard on faith and hold it fast.
--Blacky the Crow.

Every morning Blacky the Crow visited the rushes along the shore of
the Big River, hoping to find Dusky the Black Duck. He was anxious, was
Blacky. He feared that Dusky or some of his flock had been killed, and
he wanted to know. You see, he knew that Farmer Brown's boy had been
shooting over there. At last, early one morning, he found Dusky a