rst, taking steady aim with his rifle at any one of the
birds; while Francois should fire as soon as he heard the report of his
brother's gun, taking the remaining swans upon the wing, with one or
both barrels, as he best might.

At length Basil deemed himself near enough, and, levelling his piece,
fired. The bird threw out its wings, and flattened down upon the water,
almost without a struggle. The other two were rising into the air, when
"crack! crack!" went the two barrels of Francois' piece, and one of the
swans fell back with a broken wing, and fluttered over the surface of
the stream. Basil's had been shot dead, and was taken up easily; but the
wounded bird was only captured after a long chase with the canoe; and
when overtaken, it struck so fiercely with its remaining wing, that one
of the blows inflicted a painful wound on the wrist of Francois. Both,
however, were at length got safely aboard, and proved to be a male and
female of the largest dimensions.

CHAPTER V

"CAST AWAY"

Of course, the reports of the guns must have frightened any other swans
that were near. It was not likely they would find any more before going
some distance farther down the river; so, having stowed away in a safe
place the two already killed, the hunters paddled rapidly onward.

They had hardly gone half-a-mile farther, when another flock of swans
was discovered. These were approached in a similar way, and no less than
three were obtained--Francois making a remarkable shot, and killing with
both barrels. A little farther down, one of the "hoopers" was killed;
and still farther on, another trumpeter; making in all no less than
seven swans that lay dead in the bottom of the canoe!

These seven great birds almost filled the little craft to the gunwales,
and you would think that our "torch-hunters" ought to have been content
with such a spoil; but the hunter is hard to satisfy with game, and but
too often inclined to "spill much more blood" than is necessary to his
wants. Our voyageurs, instead of desisting, again set the canoe in
motion, and continued the hunt.

A short distance below the place where they had shot the last swan, as
they were rounding a bend in the river, a loud rushing sounded in their
ears, similar to that produced by a cascade or waterfall. On first
hearing it, they were startled and somewhat alarmed. It might be a
"fall," thought they. Norman could not tell: he had never travelled this
route; he did not