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 was watching the great river from his perch upon a cliff on the side of the mountain. This was a point where he often observed what was going on in the valley below. The water was high, it being the time of spring freshets. Redcoat knew that the muskrat hunting was good, but he wanted something better than the tough rats for Fluffy and himself. After a while the Red Hunter observed some large birds swimming about in a small section of backwater.

They were wild ducks, and Redcoat immediately set his keen mind to work, how to get duck for the fox family breakfast. He observed that the ducks always fed in the same spot, and that it was not very far from the shore. So Mr. Fox laid his plans accordingly.

On the following morning, at about the same time, he was creeping stealthily towards a point which ran out into the backwater where the ducks fed.

He had noted this point the day before, and also an old log which would help him in the stealthy advance. Belly to earth the