th the canoe;
and when overtaken, it struck so fiercely with its remaining wing, that
one of the blows inflicted a painful wound on the wrist of Francois.
Both, however, were at length got safely aboard, and proved to be a male
and female of the largest dimensions.

CHAPTER SIX.

"CAST AWAY."

Of course, the reports of the guns must have frightened any other swans
that were near. It was not likely they would find any more before going
some distance farther down the river; so, having stowed away in a safe
place the two already killed, the hunters paddled rapidly onward.

They had hardly gone half a mile farther, when another flock of swans
was discovered. These were approached in a similar way, and no less
than three were obtained--Francois making a remarkable shot, and killing
with both barrels. A little farther down, one of the "hoopers" was
killed; and still farther on, another trumpeter; making in all no less
than seven swans that lay dead in the bottom of the canoe!

These seven great birds almost filled the little craft to the gunwales,
and you would think that our "torch-hunters" ought to have been content
with such a spoil; but the hunter is hard to satisfy with game, and but
too often inclined to "spill much more blood" than is necessary to his
wants. Our voyageurs, instead of desisting, again set the canoe in
motion, and continued the hunt.

A short distance below the place where they had shot the last swan, as
they were rounding a bend in the river, a loud rushing sounded in their
ears; similar to that produced by a cascade or waterfall. On first
hearing it, they were startled and somewhat alarmed. It might be a
"fall," thought they. Norman could not tell: he had never travelled
this route; he did not know whether there were falls in the Red River or
not, but he believed not. In his voyage to the South, he had travelled
by another route; that was, up the Winnipeg River, and through Rainy
Lake and the Lake of the Woods to Lake Superior. This is the usual and
well-known track followed by the _employes_ of the Hudson's Bay Company;
and Norman had travelled it.

In this uncertainty the canoe was brought to a stop, and our voyageurs
remained listening. The noise made by the water was not very distant,
and sounded like the roaring of "rapids," or the rush of a "fall." It
was evidently one or the other; but, after listening to it for a
considerable time, all came to the conclusion that the soun