gets such fine bear hunting all the time."

"Well, he'll have to beat us," said Rob, stoutly.

"Alex," inquired Jesse, after a time, "how many bear did you ever see
on this river in one day?"

"I wouldn't like to say," answered Alex, "for we don't always count
them. I'm told that one of our passengers counted twenty-eight in one
afternoon right on this part of the river where we are now. I've often
seen a dozen a day, I should say."

"You're joking about that, Alex!" said Rob.

"Wait and see--I may show you pretty soon," was the answer.

The boys, always ready enough when there was game to be seen, secured
their rifles and took their stand at the front rail of the cabin-deck,
ready for anything which might appear.

"I don't see how you can shoot off this boat," said Jesse, trying to
sight his rifle. "It wobbles all the time when the engine goes."

Alex gave him a little advice. "I think you'll find it better to stand
with your feet pretty close together," said he, "and keep your hands
as close together as you can on your rifle, too. Then, when you catch
sight of your mark as you swing by, pull, and don't try to hold dead
on."

For some time they saw nothing, and, leaning their rifles against the
cabin walls, were talking about something else, when all at once they
heard the whistle of the steamer boom out above them. At about the
same time, one of the deck-hands at the bow deck below picked up a
piece of plank and began to beat loudly with it upon the side
structure of the boat.

"What's the matter?" asked Rob. "Has everybody gone crazy, Alex?"

"No; they're just trying to beat up the game," said Alex, smiling.
"You see that island below? It nearly always has bears feeding on it,
where the berries are thick. When the boat comes down above them the
men try to scare the bears out into the river. Just wait a minute, and
perhaps you'll see some of the strangest bear hunting you ever heard
of in your life."

Almost as he spoke they all heard the crack of a rifle from the
pilot-house above them, and saw the spit of a bullet on the water many
hundreds of yards below them.

"I see him," said Rob, "I see him--there he goes! Look at that little
ripple on the water."

"Yes," said Alex, quietly, "there was one on the island, as I supposed
there would be. He is swimming off now for the mainland. Too far yet,
I should say. Just take your time, and let Showan waste his
ammunition."

It was all the boys could do to