56 DAYS IN THE OPEN 



lighted and the slow circling of the lake began. 

 About two-thirds of the way around, the guide 

 stopped paddling, then gave the canoe a little twist 

 so that the bow pointed towards shore, and the 

 Preacher felt the slight shaking of the canoe 

 agreed upon as the signal to shoot. Shoot at 

 what? He could see nothing. 



A whisper came from the guide " Shoot ! " 



" Where? " was wafted back from the half-par- 

 alyzed lips of the Preacher. 



" There at the edge of the lily-pads, just a little 

 to your left." Did the Preacher see the dim out- 

 line of a form? He does not know to this day, but 

 he shot as he was commanded. A mighty snort 

 answered the shot, then splashing of water and 

 breaking of limbs, and the guide announced, " You 

 missed him." The assertion was entirely gratui- 

 tous. In fact, the Preacher had not expected to 

 hit what he could not see. 



Just about that time a thunder-cloud in the west 

 became so threatening that the guide proposed that 

 they go on shore and get under shelter. That 

 sounded good, but it was not just clear to the pas- 

 senger where the shelter was to be found. How- 

 ever, the mystery was solved when the guide pulled 

 the canoe to a dry spot on shore, turned it upside 

 down, and both crept under it as the first big drops 

 of rain came pelting down. Just as the Preacher 

 was congratulating himself upon their good for- 

 tune, the dulcet note of a mosquito sounded in his 



