must be in the creek.

"Well, I didn't pause," said the Hermit. "I just made my way down to the
creek as quickly as ever I could, remaining noiseless at the same time.
Ducks are easily scared, and I knew my hopes of dinner were poor if
these chaps saw me too soon.

"So I sneaked down. Pretty soon I got a glimpse of the creek, which was
very wide at that point, and fringed with weeds. The ducks were calmly
swimming on its broad surface, a splendid lot of them, and I can assure
you a very tempting sight to a hungry man.

"However, I didn't waste time in admiration. I couldn't very well risk a
shot from where I was, it was a bit too far, and the old gun I had
wasn't very brilliant. So I crept along, crawled down a bank, and found
myself on a flat that ran to the water's edge, where reeds, growing
thickly, screened me from the ducks' sight.

"That was simple enough. I crawled across this flat, taking no chances,
careless of mud, and wet, and sword grass, which isn't the nicest thing
to crawl among at any time, as you can imagine; it's absolutely
merciless to face and hands."

"And jolly awkward to stalk ducks in," Jim commented, "the rustle would
give you away in no time."

The Hermit nodded.

"Yes," he said, "that's its worst drawback, or was, on this occasion. It
certainly did rustle; however, I crept very slowly, and the ducks were
kind enough to think I was the wind stirring in the reeds. At any rate,
they went on swimming, and feeding quite peacefully. I got a good look
at them through the fringe of reeds, and then, like a duffer, although I
had a good enough position, I must try and get a better one.

"So I crawled a little farther down the bank, trying to reach a knoll
which would give me a fine sight of the game, and at the same time form
a convenient rest for my gun. I had almost reached it when the sad thing
happened. A tall, spear-like reed, bending over, gently and intrusively
tickled my nose, and without the slightest warning, and very greatly to
my own amazement, I sneezed violently.

"If I was amazed, what were the ducks! The sneeze was so unmistakably
human, so unspeakably violent. There was one wild whirr of wings, and my
ducks scrambled off the placid surface of the water like things
possessed. I threw up my gun and fired wildly; there was no time for
deliberate taking of aim, with the birds already half over the ti-tree
at the other side."

"Did you get any?" Jim asked.

"One duck," said the