disintegrated into long icy crystals that had no cohesiveness, and so
when they were trodden upon they afforded little more support than so
much water.

The dripping dogs were no sooner hauled out, and once more started, than
the appearance of a flock of geese, in one of the open stretches of
water, was too great a temptation to be resisted. The trains were
halted, and Frank and Alec took their guns, and crept round to an icy
hillock, from which they would be able to get a capital shot. In a few
minutes the guns rang out their reports, and up rose the great flocks of
geese, as well as many ducks and other birds. Frank and Alec had both
been successful, and so speedily they dashed over the ice to attempt to
secure their geese, which seemed to be only badly wounded. As the
Indians, who were in charge of the dogs, saw them thus recklessly
dashing straight for the open water they instantly started the dog-
trains toward them. They were none too soon, for the boys, apparently
seeing only their splendid game struggling in the narrow channel,
noticed not the dangerous black spots on the ice. Poor Frank, who was a
little in advance, almost suddenly disappeared. Down he went, and that
so quickly that he had not time even to throw from him his gun, which
speedily sank.

He had all he could do to save himself as he sank in the icy crystals
that sounded around him like the smashing of scores of panes of glass.
Alec, alarmed at Frank's sad plight, madly rushed to his rescue, but ere
he had gone a dozen yards he too found himself, as he afterward
expressed it, like a person dropping into a well. Fortunately, he was
holding his gun crossways to his body, and as the hole of rotten ice
into which he so speedily dropped was but a small one the gun struck
solid ice each side, and as he had held on securely to it he did not
fall in as completely as did poor Frank. His plight was, however, a
very awkward one, as the hole was so small and the firm, jagged ice so
gripped him that unaided he would have had some difficulty in
extricating himself.

Well was it that the Indians had been on the alert, and so it was but a
few minutes ere they were on the spot, and at once set about the work of
rescue. Alec was the first reached and was speedily pulled out,
although it required some effort to do so on account of his being so
wedged in so small a hole with the sharp, jagged ice. His ribs were
sore for many days. In the meantime Frank'