e, in most
cases over a jumble of rocks, thus forming a series of noisy rapids.
But that which we now heard was directly ahead of us, and must, thought
we, be a rapid or fall of the stream itself; moreover, it sounded louder
than any we had hitherto passed.

"We lost little time in conjectures. The first impulse of my companion,
upon catching the sound, was to stop the progress of the dug-out, which
in a few seconds he succeeded in doing; but by this time our torch had
shown us that there was a sharp turning in the river, with a long reach
of smooth water below. The cascade, therefore, could not be in our
stream, but in some tributary that fell into it near the bend.

"On seeing this, Dick turned his paddle, and permitted the dug-out once
more to float with the current.

"The next moment we passed the mouth of a good-sized creek, whose
waters, having just leaped a fall of several feet, ran into the river,
covered with white froth and bubbles. We could see the fall at a little
distance, through the branches of the trees; and as we swept on, its
foaming sheet reflected the light of our torch like shining metal.

"We had scarcely passed this point, when my attention was attracted by a
pair of fiery orbs that glistened out of some low bushes upon the left
bank of the river. I saw that they were the eyes of some animal, but
what kind of animal I could not guess. I know they were not the eyes of
a deer. Their peculiar scintillation, their lesser size, the wide space
between them all convinced me they were not deer's eyes. Moreover, they
moved at times, as if the head of the animal was carried about in
irregular circles. This is never the case with the eyes of the deer,
which either pass hurriedly from point to point, or remain with a fixed
and steadfast gaze.

"I knew, therefore, it was no deer; but no matter what--it was some wild
creature, and all such are alike the game of the prairie-hunter.

"I took aim, and pulled trigger. While doing so, I heard the voice of
my companion warning me, as I thought, not to fire. I wondered at this
admonition, but it was then too late to heed it, for it had been uttered
almost simultaneously with the report of my rifle.

"I first looked to the bank, to witness the effect of my shot. To my
great surprise, the eyes were still there, gleaming from the bushes as
brightly as ever.

"Had I missed my aim? It is true, the voice of my companion had
somewhat disconcerted me; but