our boy
hunters embarked once more, and the journey along the shore of Lake
Cameron was resumed. As they had not a great distance to go, to
reach the other end of the sheet of water, they took their time,
watching the trees and bushes for a possible sight of game.

"There are your wild ducks," cried Whopper, after half a mile had
been covered.

He pointed inland, to where there was a clearing among the trees,
probably some marshy spot. Several wild ducks were settling down,
and in a few seconds they were out of sight.

"Want to go ashore?" asked Giant, who was rowing.

"I don't think so," answered Snap. "Perhaps we'll see some of them
on the lake."

"I see three now!" called Whopper softly, and pointed almost dead
ahead.

"Turn the boat into the bushes," ordered the leader of the club,
and Giant did as commanded. Snap was already reaching for a shotgun,
and Whopper and Shep did likewise.

The wild ducks had settled on the bosom of the lake and were paddling
in the direction of the rowboat. They came on slowly, however, and
the young hunters could scarcely wait until they got within gunshot.
Giant still had the oars and now he dropped one rather loudly on the
bow. At once one of the ducks took alarm and arose in the air.

"They are flying away!" yelled Shep, and raised his shotgun. Bang!
spoke the weapon, and reports from the two other firearms followed.
One of the ducks came down heavily, while a second fluttered around
badly wounded. The third flew off, apparently untouched.

"We must get that second one!" cried Snap, and fired once more.
But the wounded duck had reached the cover of some bushes and was
not hit again. The rowboat was hastily turned in the direction and
Snap and Whopper leaped ashore. Then the duck tried to fly but a
shot from Whopper's firearm laid it low. Soon the boys had both
ducks on board and were examining the game.

"They are pretty plump," was Snap's comment, and he uttered the
words with satisfaction.

"Not so bad for the first day's record," said Giant. "Fish and
ducks."

"Now if we could only get some squirrels, a few rabbits, a deer,
and three or four bears---" began Whopper.

"Do you want to bring down everything within ten miles the first day?"
demanded the doctor's son.

"I believe if Whopper was hunting lions he'd want to bring down a
dozen the first clip," was Snap's comment. "Let me tell you there
will be many days when we won't bring down a thing."