day, and also upon the next. Even Lucien was unable to solve the
mystery. It was a point in the natural history of the osprey unknown to
him. Could she have drowned herself? Had some great fish, the "gar
pike," or some such creature, got hold of and swallowed her? Had she
dashed her head against a rock, or become entangled in weeds at the
bottom of the river?

All these questions were put, and various solutions of the problem were
offered. The true one was not thought of, until accident revealed it.
It was Saturday when the incident occurred. The party, of course,
remained all next day at the place. They heard almost continually the
cry of the bereaved bird, who most likely knew no more than they what
had become of his mate. On Monday our travellers re-embarked and
continued down-stream. About a mile below, as they were paddling along,
their attention was drawn to a singular object floating upon the water.
They brought the canoe alongside it.

It was a large fish, a sturgeon, floating dead, with a bird beside it,
also dead! On turning both over, what was their astonishment to see that
the talons of the bird were firmly fixed in the back of the fish! It was
the _female osprey_! This explained all. She had struck a fish too heavy
for her strength, and being unable to clear her claws again, had been
drawn under the water and had perished along with her victim!

CHAPTER, XXII.

THE VOYAGE INTERRUPTED.

About ten days' rapid travelling down the Elk River brought our party
into the Athabasca Lake--sometimes called the "Lake of the Hills." This
is another of those great bodies of fresh water that lie between the
primitive rocks of the "Barren Grounds," and the more fertile limestone
deposit upon the west. It is nearly two hundred miles long from west to
east, and it is only fifteen miles in breadth, but in some places it is
so narrow and full of islands that it looks more like a broad river than
a lake. Its shores and many of its islands are thickly wooded,
particularly upon the southern and western edges; and the eye of the
traveller is delighted with many a beautiful vista as he passes along.
But our voyageurs took little heed of these things.

A gloom had come over their spirits, for one of their party had taken
ill, and was suffering from a painful and dangerous disease--an
intermittent fever. It was Lucien--he that was beloved by all of them.
He had been complaining for several days--even while admiring the