ptain, regarding his son with a
placid look.

"You're a funny father, daddy," answered the son with a shake of the
head; "and it's fortunate for you that I'm good as well as funny, else
I'd give you some trouble."

"You've got a good opinion of yourself, Ben, anyhow," said Leo, looking
over his shoulder as he rowed. "Just change the subject and make
yourself useful. Jump into the bow and have the boat-hook ready; the
water shoals rather fast here, and I don't want to risk scraping a hole
in our little craft."

The island they were approaching formed part of the extensive
archipelago of which Poloe was the main or central island. Paradise
Isle, as Leo had named it, lay about two miles from Poloe. The boat
soon touched its shingly beach, but before it could scrape thereon its
occupants stepped into the water and carefully carried it on shore.

"Now, Benjy, hand me the rifle and cartridges," said Leo, after the boat
was placed in the shadow of a low bank, "and fetch the game-bag. What!
you don't intend to carry the packing-case, uncle, do you?"

"I think I'd better do it," answered the Captain, lifting the case by
its cord in a careless way; "it might take a fancy to have a swim on its
own account, you know. Come along, the birds are growing impatient,
don't you see?"

With a short laugh, Leo shouldered his rifle, and marched towards the
first of a chain of little lakes, followed by Benjy with the game-bag,
and the Captain with the case.

Soon a splendid grey wild-goose was seen swimming at a considerable
distance beyond the reeds.

"There's your chance, now, Leo," said the Captain. But Leo shook his
head. "No use," he said; "if I were to shoot that one I'd never be able
to get it; the mud is too deep for wading, and the reeds too thick for
swimming amongst. It's a pity to kill birds that we cannot get hold of,
so, you see, I must walk along the margin of the lake until I see a bird
in a good position to be got at, and then pot him."

"But isn't that slow work, lad?" asked the Captain.

"It might be slow if I missed often or wounded my birds," replied Leo,
"but I don't often miss."

The youth might with truth have said he never missed, for his eye was as
true and his hand as sure as that of any Leatherstocking or Robin Hood
that ever lived.

"Why don't you launch the boat on the lake?" asked the Captain.

"Because I don't like to run the risk of damaging it by hauling it about
among mud and sticks