SWIMMERS 



shallow water among the alders and young pines 

 where the stream had overflowed its banks. 



He seemed to progress as swiftly and easily 

 through the water-soaked snow as in the clear 

 water, and sometimes came up beneath soft ice 

 several inches thick, breaking up through it with 

 his whole length at once. 



He soon disappeared beneath the ice, to come 

 in sight again out in the open current, swimming 

 down-stream on the further side of the top rails 

 of a fence almost submerged by the freshet, and 

 climbed upon the buttressed trunk of a willow 

 about forty yards from me. As soon as he was 

 fairly out of the water, I fired both barrels at 

 him, and he slid off into the water, but, contrary 

 to my expectations, failed to come to the top 

 again, at least at that place, though a few min- 

 utes after I saw an otter swim for a few yards 

 between two willows a hundred yards further 

 down-stream. 



I could hardly believe at the time that I had 

 143 



