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Sound travels easily over water, and the decoy-man must have heard the hail, but he paid no heed, only kept on poling his punt along, thrusting down the long ash sapling, which the fen-men used as punt-pole, staff, and leaping-pole in turn; and then as the boat glided on, standing erect in her bows like some statue. "Now, what a dried-up old yellow mummy he is!" cried Dick.
Near the decoy-keeper's house were some places where young decoy ducks were hatched, or otherwise kept to fit them for their work. While the decoy-man was busy showing the new works, he was alarmed with a great cry about this house for "Help! help!" and away he ran like the wind, guessing, as we supposed, that something was catched in the trap.
What Tom called sparks were glowing flakes of fire which floated on, glittering against the black sky, and so furiously was the fire burning that it seemed as if something far more than the hut and stacks of the decoy-man must be ablaze.
One day it was pike-fishing, with Dave to punt them about here and there among the pools. At another time ordinary tackle would be rigged up, and Dave would take them to some dark hole where fish were known to swarm, and for hours the decoy-man would sit and watch patiently while the three companions pulled up the various denizens of the mere.
A number of ducks, trained for the purpose, are employed to lead the wild fowl on and on through narrow wicker channels up to a funnel net. Hemp-seed is thrown in their way, as they advance, by the decoy-man, whose whistle is obeyed by the decoy-ducks, until the poor strangers are quite entrapped.
Then, like a flash, came to the lad's memory the engagement made to go liggering that day, and he wondered why it was that he did not feel more eager to have a day's fishing for the pike. Pee-wit! pee-wit! came from off the water in a low plaintive whistle, which Dick answered, and in a minute or two the decoy-man poled his boat ashore, smiling in his tight, dry way.
"Is that another perch?" cried Tom, as Dave began to ply his pole rapidly, and the boat was urged on in pursuit. "Nay, that's no perch," cried Dave, who for the first time looked interested. "It's a pike, and a good one." "Think it's that monster that took down the duck?" cried Dick. "Nay, lad, I d'know," said the decoy-man; "all I say is that it be a girt lungeing pike o' some kind."
"Come on, Tom!" said Dick, and they stepped out at once so suddenly that the decoy-man, in spite of his self-control, started. A curious smile puckered his face directly and he stood staring at them. "Why, you have been a long time, Dave," cried Dick. "Long, boy?" "Yes, long. You asked us to come over and see the netting." "Ay, so I did, boy; but there soon wean't be no netting."
For just then they saw Dave go straight up to a tuft of dry grass, stoop down and pick up a hare by its ears, and place it on his left arm. The boys ran up excitedly. "Why, Dave, I didn't think you could do it!" cried Dick. "Dessay not," replied the decoy-man, uttering his unpleasant laugh. "Theer, she's a beauty, isn't she?"
"Hoy, Dave!" The decoy-man came slowly down toward the shore to meet them, and waved his hand in answer to Dick's call. "Oh, I am sorry!" cried the latter. "I wish I'd brought him something too. I daresay he's as bad as John Warren." Dave's appearance proved the truth of Dick's assertion.
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