Part 13 (1/2)

A plan to get near theested by Norman, which was to tie bushes around the sides of the canoe, so as to hide both the vessel and those in it This plan was at once adopted--the canoe was paddled up to the bank--thick bushes were cut, and tied along the gunwale; and then our voyageurs cli theently doard in the direction of the ducks The rifles were laid aside, as they could be of little service with such game Francois' double-barrel was the arm upon which dependence was now placed; and Francois himself leaned forward in the bow in order to be ready, while the others attended to the guidance of the vessel The buckshot had been drawn out, and a ser cared for or even thought of

In about a quarter of an hour's tie--which was the wild celery--ca through the leafy screen, could now see the birds plainly They saw that they were not all canvass-backs, but that three distinct kinds of ducks were feeding together One sort was the canvass-backs themselves, and a second kind very much resembled them, except that they were a size smaller These were the ”red-heads” or ”pochards”

The third species was different from either They had also heads of a reddish colour, but of a brighter red, and marked by a white band that ran from the root of the bill over the crown This mark enabled Lucien at once to tell the species They idgeons; but the eurs was the terms upon which these three kinds of birds lived with each other It appeared that the widgeon obtained its food by a regular system of robbery and plunder perpetrated upon the community of the canvass-backs The latter, as Lucien explained, feeds upon the roots of the valisneria; but for these it is obliged to dive to the depth of four or five feet, and also to spend soeon is as fond of the ”celery” as the canvass-back, but the foroes under water except ashi+ng itself or in play, and it has therefore nothe desired roots

Mark, then, the plan that it takes to effect this end

Seated as near as is safe to the canvass-back, it waits until the latter eon) then darts forward so as to be sufficiently close, and, pausing again, scans the surface with eager eye It can tell where the other is at work, as the blades of the plant at which it is tugging are seen to th disappear, pulled down as the plant is dragged from its root, and al the root between his eon is ready for him He has calculated the exact spot where the other will rise; and, before the latter can open his eyes or get theeon darts forward, snatches the luscious morsel from his bill, and eon, knowing hiive battle, but secures his prize through his superior agility On the other hand, the canvass-back rarely attempts to follow him, as he knows that the other is swifter upon the water than he He only looks after his lost root with an air of chagrin, and then, reflecting that there is ”plenty more where it caes to the bottom

The red-head rarely interferes with either, as he is contented to feed upon the leaves and stalks, at all tilided near, those on board watched these curious s of interest They saw,them, and the ducks see unusual in the appearance of the swan Its plu in a stiff and unnatural manner It moved its neck neither to one side nor the other, but held its head bent forward, until its bill almost touched the water, in the attitude that these birds adopt when feeding upon so to his cohten the ducks; but Basil and Nore look and conduct of the trumpeter Francois' eyes were bent only upon the ducks, and he did not heed the other

As they came closer, first Lucien, and then Basil and Nor else that puzzled them Whenever the swan approached any of the ducks, these were observed to disappear under the water At first, the boys thought that they et out of his way, but it was not exactly in the sa for the roots Moreover, none of those that went down in the neighbourhood of the sere seen to co very odd in all this, and the three boys, thinking so at the sahts to one another, when the double crack of Francois' gun drove the thing, for a moment, out of their heads; and they all looked over the bushes to see how many canvass-backs had been killed Several were seen dead or fluttering along the surface; but no one counted thee, and even terrible, object now presented itself to the astonished senses of all If the conduct of the swan had been odd before, it was now doubly so

Instead of flying off after the shot, as all expected it would do, it was now seen to dance and plunge about on the water, uttering loud screams, that resembled the human voice far more than any other sounds!

Then it rose as if pitched into the air, and fell on its back some distance off; while in its place was seen a dark, round objectfor the bank, and uttering, as it went, the same hideous human-like screams!

This dark object was no other than the poll of a hu towards the bank, it rose higher and higher above the water, until the boys could distinguish the glistening neck and naked shoulders of a red and brawny Indian! All was now explained The Indian had been duck-hunting, and had used the stuffed skin of the swan as his disguise; and hence the puzzling motions of the bird He had not noticed the canoe--concealed as it was--until the loud crack of Francois' gun had startled him from his work

This, and the heads and white faces of the boys peeping over the bushes, had frightened him, even more than he had them Perhaps they were the first white faces he had ever seen But, whether or not, sadly frightened he was; for, on reaching the bank, he did not stop, but ran off into the woods, howling and yelling as if Old Nick had been after him: and no doubt he believed that such was the case

The travellers picked up the swan-skin put of curiosity; and, in addition to the ducks which Francois had killed, they found nearly a score of these birds, which the Indian had dropped in his fright, and that had afterwards risen to the surface These were strung together, and all had their necks broken

After getting them aboard, the canoe was cleared of the bushes; and the paddles being once more called into service, the little craft shot down stream like an arrow

CHAPTER XIX

THE SHRIKE AND THE HUMMING-BIRDS

The picturesque scenery of the Elk appeared to be a favourite resort with the feathered creation Here our voyageurs saw rate into the fur countries during summer, and those thatthe former were observed--the beautiful blue bird of Wilson which, on account of its gentle and innocent habits, is quite as land

Another favourite of the farracefully wheeling through the air; while, areen leaves, fluttered ht scarlet wings; the blue jay, noisy and chattering; the rarer ”crossbill” with its deep criht and beautiful, enlivened the woods, either with their voice or their gaudy plue

There was one bird, however, that had neither ”fine feathers” nor an agreeable voice, but that interested our travellers more than any of the others Its voice was unpleasant to the ear, and soundedelse they could think of The bird itself was not larger than a thrush, of a light grey colour above, white underneath, and with blackish wings Its bill reses were more like those of the woodpecker tribe; and it seemed, in fact, to be a cross between the two It was neither the colour of the bird, nor its for, that interested our travellers, but its singular habits; and these they had a fine opportunity of observing at one of their ”noon camps,” where they had halted to rest and refresh the the hot mid-day hours The place was on one of the little islets, which was covered with underwood, with here and there soer trees The underwood bushes were of various sorts; but close to the spot where they had landed was a large thicket of honeysuckle, whose floere in full bloom, and filled the air with their sweet perfume

While seated near these, Francois' quick eye detected the presence of so the blosso-birds, and of that species known as the ”ruby-throats” so called, because a flake of a beautiful vinous colour under the throat of the lories of the ruby The back, or upper parts, are of a gilded green colour; and the little creature is the srates into the fur countries, with one exception, and that is a bird of the sa-bird” The latter, however, has been seen in the Northern regions, only on the western side of the Rocky Mountains; but then it has been observed even as far north as the bleak and inhospitable shores of Nootka Sound Mexico, and the tropical countries of A-birds; and it was, for a long time, supposed that the ”ruby-throats” were the only ones that rated farther north than the territory of Mexico itself It is non, that besides the ”cinna-bird,” two or three other species annually her latitudes