ght.

"Perhaps there may be more out in the stream," said Martin. "Let us
paddle slowly down, and ten to one we see some."

Alick consented, and proposed, moreover, that as we had embarked we
might as well proceed on our voyage, as the light enabled us to see our
way as well as in the daytime, while the air was cooler than when the
hot sun beat down on the stream. We had gone some distance when Martin
struck down his spear.

"I hit a fish," he exclaimed, "but it got off. We may have better luck
the next time."

I shortly afterwards saw another fish, which I succeeded not only in
striking but in securing, though it fell off the moment I got it into
the canoe. It showed us that our spears were not as perfectly barbed or
as sharp as was necessary. This success encouraged us to continue the
sport, and we went on and on, though we did not succeed in securing any
more fish. Our fire, however, had produced an effect we had not
expected. As we were passing a low cliff, loud cries of wild-fowl
saluted our ears. The birds, roused by the appearance of the light,
flew off from their nests, and came circling around us; so we fired
several shot at them, and brought three down.

The rest, not aware of what had happened, continued pursuing us; their
numbers increased from the other denizens of the banks. Alick, in his
eagerness to shoot the birds, was using less caution than before. I
fancied that I heard the rushing sound of water.

"There must be rapids near us," I exclaimed.

Just as I spoke Alick again fired, and two birds fell into the water
ahead of us. Taking his paddle, he urged the canoe forward to pick them
up. None of us could tell how it was, but all of a sudden we found
ourselves whirled onwards by an unseen power. Though we got the paddles
out, we had lost all control over our canoe. The next instant, her bow
striking a rock, she was whirled round, when her stern came in contact
with a snag also fixed in the crevices of another rock.

"Jump out for your lives, lads!" cried Alick, setting us the example.

The water, we found, was rushing over the ledge on to which he stepped.
Martin and I followed, carrying our guns. Robin sprang after us,
catching hold of the sail; while Bouncer, acting as a brave sailor does,
was the last to quit the ship.

I had just time to leap forward and catch hold of the iron pot when the
canoe was whirled away down the rapids. On examining our position we
found ourselve