"I told my people not to expect me home to supper; and also that
they might be having game tomorrow for dinner, if we were lucky,"
remarked Frank.

"And nobody will bother whether I show up or not," observed Ralph,
with a nervous little laugh.

"Never mind, old chap, I calculate that there's going to come a
decided change in your condition before a great while. You're
showing true grit in bearing up as well as you do. Any day you may
get the letter that tells you the ones you look for are on the way
here. Then your troubles will be all in the past. Hello! how's
this Bones? Have we arrived?" and Frank looked around curiously
when the guide came to a sudden halt.

"Here we are, fellows. You see that abrupt break in the heavy line
of trees. It seems to form a sort of avenue, and the ducks in
flying toward the swamp just naturally drive into it, following
after each other as though it were really a road. In fact, few of
them ever enter the swamp by any other way than this."

"If we're going to shoot over a place like this, as the ducks come
in, why the decoys?" asked Ralph.

Bones laughed as he replied:

"I generally keep them out here during the season, in a little
shelter I have. Nothing like making fellows useful, you know; and
while we were coming I thought three could carry them better than
one! Sort of making you work your passage, see?"