WILD SWANS. 235 



while we prepared a cygnet for dinner. When that was 

 cooked, an operation which took an hour, as we had to 

 bury it in the ashes, we set to work on it with a 

 will and soon finished it, for the raw air had given 

 us a keen ai^petite. Having satisfied the cravings of 

 nature, we went towards the boat, but on reaching 

 the spot where it had been anchored we were thunder- 

 struck to find it gone. We supposed, at first, that some 

 prowlers had stolen it, but on glancing at the creek we 

 saw it drifting slowly downwards, at least half a mile 

 away. This was a predicament we had not anticipated, 

 and we were at our wit's ends to know how to escape 

 from it. The only feasible plan that presented itself was 

 to swim after the craft; but that was more easily thought 

 of than done, as the water was too cold to be borne for 

 any length of time. AVliile we were helplessly debating 

 our situation, and considering the jjossibility of remain- 

 ing on the island until some passing steamer took us off, 

 we saw a small shovel-nose canoe, containing a solitary 

 Indian, running down the cove. When he came abreast 

 of us we hailed him in such stentorian tones that their 

 echo may be hanging around there yet. He responded, 

 and on coming near the shore we told him we would pay 

 him well if he would recover the runaway boat. He said 

 he would do it for half a dollar. The offer was accepted, 

 and when he brought the craft back he was cheerfully 

 paid. When the "Son of the Forest" landed to warm 

 his hands at our fire, we learned from him that he had 

 been shooting ducks on the upper arm of the cove, and 

 that they were so abundant that he was able to kill 

 nineteen brace in less than three hours with an old Hud- 

 son Bay musket, that had a muzzle as large as a blunder- 

 buss. When I saw it I came to the conclusion that it 

 could outkick an army mule, and subsequent events 

 proved that I was not far wrong. As the noble red man 

 had nothing to do for the remainder of the day, we con- 



