1 82 SUFFICIENTL Y L UDICRO US. 



the lake. The traps had been judiciously laid, and the 

 number of beavers which fell victims during the night 

 was very considerable. 



Meanwhile the moose had disappeared from the 

 beach, which stretched away in misty indistinctness by 

 the verge of the forest, presenting no object along its 

 expanse to arrest the attention. The night wore 

 gradually away, and sleep overpowered the hunters. 

 Their heads nodded on their bosoms, and one by one 

 they yielded to the drowsy influence. 

 . From this comfortable repose, however, they were 

 rather rudely disturbed by an accident, which might 

 have proved fatal, but which was nevertheless suffi- 

 ciently ludicrous. A rifle-shot rang out on the still 

 midnight air, and the bough upon which old Jake 

 principally rested, shattered by the bullet, yielded to 

 the weight of the somnolent old hunter, who disappeared 

 from between his companions and fell crashing through 

 the branches. 



Fortunately a snag caught the skirt of his buckskin 

 hunting-shirt. Much amazed at his predicament, the 

 veteran hung suspended in mid air, wildly kicking his 

 legs in space, and clutching at whatever seemed to 

 promise a support. 



" Git yer shootin' -sticks ! " yelled the old fellow ; 

 " 'twur Injuns, I tell yer. Keep yer eyes skinned, an' 

 make a sieve o' whatever ye kin see. I'm swimmin' 

 down hyur, an' kin find bottom nohow. Great Chris- 

 topher Columbus ! to think o' this old coon goin' under 



