re eager to observe how he would ultimately succeed.

Quickly did he catch up to the boat; but, instead of listening to the
Indian, who, in broken English, tried to tell him to get in over the end
of the canoe, he seized it by the side, and there attempted to climb in.
Vain were his efforts. Very skillful indeed is the Indian who can in
this manner get into a birch-bark canoe, and of course it is out of the
question to expect an inexperienced white person to accomplish the feat.
So light is the canoe, that, when thus seized hold of, it yields to the
slightest pull, and often causes the person who thus takes hold of it to
tumble over ignominiously in the water.

Poor Frank was disgusted but not conquered, and so, amid the laughter of
those on shore, he now listened to the advice and direction of the wise
old Indian, who was the only one in the company who had not even smiled
at the boy's mishap. At the Indian's advice he again caught hold of the
canoe, but this time by the end, and carefully bearing his weight upon
it he was at length enabled to work himself into it. Cautiously
balancing himself, and seizing a paddle that happened to have been
fastened in it, he paddled himself ashore amid the cheers of the
onlookers.

"Well done, Frank!" said the old Indian.

He had done what some take months to accomplish. He had conquered the
canoe in his first attempt, and never after in his many adventures was
he afraid of that bonny craft, in which he spent many happy hours, and
in the paddling of which, he became the equal of many a clever Indian.

Of course, there was some delay in the departure of the hunting party,
as Frank had to return to his quarters at the Post and get on a dry suit
of clothing. This is, however, an operation that does not take a boy
full of eager excitement long to accomplish, and so it was not many
minutes ere the party set off on their promised excursion.

The Indian decided that they should first go where the ducks were
numerous, and to interest these young English lads they adopted a method
of hunting them that was most novel and successful. Indeed, it is a
very rare method which was here successfully tried, on account of the
difficulty of getting a dog so trained as to correctly act his part.
But this old native, whose name was Ooseemeemou, had by great patience
and kindness so drilled his clever dog that he acted his part with
extraordinary cleverness and tact. He called the little fellow