Part 23 (1/2)
They appeared to have recovered frohtheir leader every now and then turning round his head to take a look at the suspicious object the canoein the ain the wind blew softly, and we onceon theet up before they reach yonder point If they double it, we ht of thee of our shot, but had we fired it would not have penetrated their thick feathers, and Alick charged us on no account to pull a trigger We were thus long tantalised by seeing the swansover the water ahead of us
”They will get round the point, after all, before we are up to them,”
said Robin
”Never mind if they do,” answered Alick ”We'll then use our paddles, as they will not see us, and we shall very likely soon overtake them on the other side There seems to be more breeze on the water out there
Be ready to hoist the sail again the h ere stillway, Robin's anticipations were fulfilled, and the swans, one after another, disappeared behind the point The instant they did so ered the sail and began paddling aith ht and main, as we hoped to find ourselves much nearer to them than we had hitherto been Bouncer had sat very quietly in the boat watching all our proceedings He was too well-trained a dog to bark or show any signs of impatience; he probably knew from experience that had he, indeed, atteht receive a blow fros which would make him repent his temerity, for such power does the swan possess that it has been known by a single blow of one of its wings to break a ot up to the point, and ilided noiselessly round it
Great was our disappointment, however, to see only one swan still in the water What had becoed into soht bank of the river That bird, however, we resolved should beco our sail we all three fired As the smoke cleared off, however, there swam the swan, stately as before, and apparently uninjured,for the reeds I have mentioned
”We must have that fellow, at all events,” cried Alick ”Paddle away, Robin and Martin; we shall be soon up to him”
While they obeyed the order, I reloaded, deterain to miss the swan
”Wait a moment,” said Alick; ”he's still rather far off”
”If I wait, he'll get into the reeds Do let ive the word, and as we had all agreed to obey hih I felt sure that I could hit the swan
The bird turning round its long neck saw us cos as well as its feet, with a loud cry darted into an opening a the reeds
”We shall have him still,” cried Alick; ”paddle away! paddle away!”
Laying down un, I seized a paddle, and in another minute we had reached the reeds where the swan had disappeared
”Now, Bouncer, see what you can do,” cried Alick The faithful old dog did not require to receive a second order, but plunging bravely overboard, dashed into the reeds, and struggled energetically forward around on which to place his feet We watched eagerly for the bird, which we felt sure froe tree grew close to the bank, its roots reaching the water We urged the canoe forward, and presently up rose the swan, no longer presenting the sas were powerful enough to lift it in the air, its body had a remarkably heavy, aard appearance
Bouncer would in another instant have seized it, and have had cause to repent doing so, but the bird rose just beyond reach of his jaws I lifted un and fired, as did Robin Neither Martin nor Alick, on account of the tree, could take ailittering in the sun; but it had not gone far when down it came with a heavy flop on the reeds Bouncer dashed forward to seize it We, finding that the water was deep enough to allow us to h the reeds, pushed the canoe in between theht tear a hole in her thin coating
We had got so every now and then raised above the green herbage, that Bouncer was having a desperate struggle with the wounded swan, and this ht hasten to his assistance Finding at last that the canoe stuck fast, I stepped overboard, followed by Martin Scarcely had we done so e sank almost up to our middles in softin for it, we deterh we advised Alick and Robin to keep quiet, which, seeing the plight ere in, they had every inclination to do We floundered on for soot up the bank,that Bouncer had seized the swan by the neck, and that everyless violent than before Ere we got close up to the co at the nose, and moved with a limp
As we took the swan from him, he looked up in our faces as much as to say, ”I have done it, masters; but it has cost me pretty dearly”
We were not aware at that ti that it was quite dead, we dragged it along towards the canoe; into which we hauled it Bouncer followed, though not without difficulty, and we had to help hiet to so,” said Alick
”I don't knohether you are hungry, boys, but I know that I a before a good fire the better pleased I shall be Shove off” We endeavoured to obey the order
”Very well to say shove off, but it'sround