over the side of the boat, and, drawing
in a long breath, sank slowly out of sight.

Meanwhile Archie was pulling off his clothes, and, when his cousin
appeared, he exclaimed,

"How do things look down there? Rather muddy, isn't it?"

"Yes," answered Frank, as he wiped the water from his face, "but the
bottom is all clear, and the water is only about fifteen feet deep."

"Did you see any thing of the guns?"

"No, I couldn't stay down long enough to make observations. I'm going
to dive this time," he continued, as he commenced climbing back into
the boat.

"Well, here goes!" said Archie.

And, clasping his hands above his head, he dived out of sight, and
Frank followed close after.

When the latter again appeared at the surface, he found Archie holding
on to the boat, with one of the guns elevated above his head, to allow
the water to run out of the barrels.

The boys climbed up into the boat, and dived again, but neither of
them met with any success. The next time Archie was again the
fortunate one, for, when Frank rose to the surface, he was climbing up
into the boat, with the other gun in his hand.

"I don't call this a very unlucky hunt, after all," said Frank.

"Neither do I," said Archie. "I say, Frank," he continued, "I wish we
could reproduce in our museum the scene we have just passed through."

"So do I. If we could represent the buck in the act of upsetting us,
it would be our 'masterpiece,' wouldn't it? But I am afraid that is
further than our ingenuity extends."

The boys drew on their clothes, which were but partially dry, and,
after pulling ashore to get the hounds, which had kept up a loud
barking all the time, they turned the boat's head toward home.

After changing their clothes and eating a hearty dinner--during which
they related their adventure to Mrs. Nelson and Julia--they carefully
removed the buck's skin, and hung it up in the shop by a fire to dry.

Their guns were found to be none the worse for their ducking; the
loads, of course, were wet, and had to be drawn, but a good coat of
oil, and a thorough rubbing inside and out, made them look as good as
new.

During the afternoon, as the boys sat on the piazza in front of the
house, talking over the events of the morning, their attention was
attracted by a combat that was going on between one of Frank's pet
kingbirds and a red-headed woodpecker. The latter was flying zigzag
through the air, and the kingbird was pecking him most