they will start off as soon as it gets light."

"Oh, no; the lake is a good feeding-ground, and they would stay,
perhaps, all day, if they were not disturbed."

In about an hour the day began to dawn; and, as soon as objects on the
opposite side of the creek could be discerned, Frank led the way
across the bridge. A short run through the woods brought them to the
swamp.

Now the hunt began in earnest. The swamp was covered with water,
which, in some places, was two feet deep; and the trees and bushes
grew so thick, that it was with difficulty that they could work their
way through them. Besides, they were obliged to proceed very
carefully, for every step brought them nearer the game; and the
slightest splashing in the water, or even the snapping of a twig,
might alarm them.

At length they found themselves on the shore of the lake; and, peering
out from behind a thicket, where they had crept for concealment, they
discovered, about half-way to the opposite shore, as fine a flock of
geese as one would wish to see--fifteen of them in all. They were
swimming around, turning their heads first one way and then the other,
as if they had been alarmed.

"It's a long shot, isn't it?" said Archie, measuring the distance with
his eye.

"Yes," answered his cousin; "but that is not the worst of it; they are
getting further away from us every moment."

"Well," said Archie, cocking his gun, and pushing it carefully through
the bushes, "you be ready to take them as they rise."

As he spoke he took a quick aim at the nearest of the flock, and
pulled the trigger. The cap snapped.

"Plague on the gun!" he exclaimed. "Shall I throw it in the lake!"

"No, no," answered Frank; "try the other barrel; and you had better be
quick about it--they're going to fly."

Archie again raised his gun to his shoulder. This time there was no
mistake. The nearest of the geese received the entire charge, and lay
dead on the water.

Frank now waited for his turn; but the geese, after skimming along the
surface of the water until they were out of gun-shot, rose in the air,
and flew rapidly across the lake.

As the boys stood watching their flight, they saw a cloud of smoke
issue from a clump of bushes on the opposite shore, followed by the
report of a gun, and one of the flock fell to the water, and another,
evidently badly wounded, rose high in the air, and flew wildly about.
Another puff of smoke rose from the bushes, a second report was hea