s as they winged their flight through the dark
heavens.

"We soon bagged our game, both dead and wounded, and saw that they were
a large `gander' and two young birds.

"It was a successful beginning; and having replenished our torch, we
continued to float downward in search of more. Half a mile farther on,
we came in sight of three others, one of which we succeeded in killing.

"Another `spell' of paddling brought us to a third flock, out of which I
got one for each barrel of my gun; and a short distance below I
succeeded in killing a pair of the grey wild geese.

"In this way we kept down the river for at least ten miles I should
think, killing both swans and geese as we went. Indeed, the novelty of
the thing, the wild scenery through which we passed--rendered more wild
and picturesque by the glare of the torch--and the excitement of
success, all combined to render the sport most attractive; and but that
our `pine-knots' had run out, I would have continued it until morning.

"The failure of these at length brought our shooting to a termination,
and we were compelled to put about, and undertake the much less
pleasant, and much more laborious, task, of paddling ten miles
up-stream. The consciousness, however, of having performed a great
feat--in the language of the Canadian hunters, a grand `_coup_,' made
the labour seem more light, and we soon arrived at the settlement, and
next morning triumphantly paraded our game-bag in front of our `lodge.'

"Its contents were twelve trumpeter-swans, besides three of the
`hoopers.' We had also a pair of Canada geese; a snow-goose, and three
brant,--these last being the produce of a single shot.

"The hunters of the settlement were quite envious, and could not
understand what means I had employed to get up such a `game-bag.' I
intended to have kept that for some time a secret; but the frying-pan
and the piece of blackened bark were found, and these betrayed my
stratagem; so that on the night after, a dozen canoes, with torches at
their bows, might have been seen floating down the waters of the
stream."

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

HUNTING THE MOOSE.

While crossing the marshy bottom through which our road led, a singular
hoof-track was observed in the mud. Some were of opinion that it was a
track of the great moose-deer, but the hunter-naturalist, better
informed, scouted the idea--declaring that moose never ranged, so far to
the south. It was no doubt a very large