ight angle
for the brisk wind to cause him to gradually draw away from the side he
had been on. When in the middle of the channel so pleased was he with
his novel craft that he let out his sail, and for a time sped along
north between the two icy shores. Then, observing an indenture in the
ice to the east sufficiently large to serve for a harbour for his queer
vessel, he steered for it and safely ran in, but struck the icy landing
place with such a crash that his raft was split in the middle under him.
However, all he had to do was to hang on to his cariole and straighten
out his dogs by the calls they well understood. In an instant they
sprang ashore, and easily dragged Sam and the cariole after them.
Facing toward the distant home, the dogs required no special urging, and
so rapidly, yet carefully watching against the treacherous places, they
hurried on, and about sundown home was reached.

Mr and Mrs Ross had begun to feel anxious about him, and so were not
only relieved by his return, but very much amused by the characteristic
account he gave of his adventure on the ice raft.

In the meantime, although it was not quite dark, there was no word as
yet from Frank and Alec, who with some Indians had gone off early in the
morning on a duck-shooting excursion.

Following the geese, the hunting of which has been so fully described in
a previous chapter, came the ducks in great flocks. They could be seen
in great multitudes during every hour of the day, and the whistling
sounds that accompany their rapid flights could be heard every hour of
the night. They seemed to be of about every known variety, from the
great grey ducks down to the smallest teals. The Indians were after
them incessantly, and killed great numbers of them. They resorted to no
such elaborate preparations in hunting them as they did at the goose
huntings, but shot them at the various points along which they seemed to
crowd, and in the many pieces of open water on the marshy shores, where
they tried to find some favourite food. The boys were out almost every
day, either with Mr Ross or some trusted Indians, and had some capital
sport.

The morning that Sam had prepared to have a good long final run with his
dogs, Frank and Alec had gone to what was called the Old Fort, where the
mighty Nelson, gathering in Lake Winnipeg the waters of many rivers,
begins in its full strength its fierce, rapid, onward career, that ends
only when it reaches the Huds