e--shove off. Now, then, mind how you steer,
Little Bill."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

CIRCUMVENTING THE RED-SKINS.

For some time the brothers paddled about the sedgy shore of the small
islet on which the camp had been pitched, now setting up a flock of
ducks and then slipping into the heart of some reeds and concealing
themselves until a good chance was obtained at a passing flock of geese.

Archie Sinclair soon laid in enough provision to serve the party for a
few meals, for his hand was steady and his eye true.

"Little Bill," he said, looking back after one of his successful shots,
"you must take a shot now. We will go right-about-face, and convert the
bow into the stern in the usual way. See, catch hold of the gun."

"No, Arch-ee, as Oke calls you, I won't; I'm quite content to look on,
for your gun kicks like a Mexican mule. Besides, it's easy work to
steer, and seeing you panting and toiling in the bow makes it seem all
the easier. Just you keep blazin' away, old man. But, I say, where
shall I steer to now? I'm tired o' steering among the reeds. Let us
push out into the clear water."

"You heard what Oke said," objected Archie; "we must keep well clear o'
both shores."

"I know that," returned Billie, "but he did not forbid us to try the
reeds round the other islands; there's a much bigger one, not a quarter
of a mile up stream. I think there are some beautiful sedges there
where geese are likely to live. I'm sure I would choose to live in such
a place if I was a goose."

"O! then, we must go, Little Bill, for I think it would be hard to keep
any one out of his native home."

So saying, he dipped his paddle with vigour, and the light bark shot
swiftly over the glancing water.

The sun was beginning to descend towards the western horizon when they
drew near to the island, and several flocks of water-fowl had already
sprung alarmed from the reeds, when Archie caught sight of a
black-and-red-painted visage peering at him from among the bushes.

The boy's heart seemed to bound into his throat and his first impulse
was to turn the canoe and fly, but Archie's mind was quicker even than
his hand or eye. All he had ever heard or read of the cool stoicism of
the Red-man seemed to flash across his memory, and, with a violent
effort, he crushed back the shout that rose to his lips. He could not
indeed suppress the look of sudden surprise that swept across his
expressive face, but he cleverly adapte