the dead bodies in the attitude of
rest among the other decoys, he returned to the boat, and for the first
time perceived that the geese were not the only bipeds which had
suffered in the late bombardment.

Leaning over the side-boards of the boat, the fastenings of which were
broken or unfastened, appeared Kennedy, apparently engaged in deep
meditation, for his head was bowed until the broad rim of his
preposterous head-covering effectually concealed his face from view.

"Here, Kennedy, both your birds are dead, and noble ones they are."

"I'm glad of it, for I'm nearly dead, too," came in a melancholy snuffle
from the successful shot, at whose feet La Salle for the first time
perceived a huge pool of blood.

"Good Heavens! are you hurt? Did your gun burst?" asked La Salle,
anxiously.

"No, I've nothin' but the nose-bleed and a broken shoulder, I reckon.
Braced my back against that board so as to get good aim, and I guess the
pesky gun was overloaded; and when she went off it felt like a horse had
kicked me in the face, and the wheel had run over my shoulder."

"Didn't you know better than to put your shoulder between the butt of a
gun like that and a half ton of ice?" asked La Salle. "Why, you've
broken two brass hooks, and knocked down all the ice-blocks on that
side. Can't I do anything to stop that bleeding? Lay down, face upward,
on the ice. Hold an icicle to the back of your neck."

"No, thank you; I guess it will soon stop of itself. A little while ago
I cut some directions for curing nose-bleed out of the Tribune, and I
guess they're in my pocket-book. Yes, here they are: 'Stuff the nostrils
with pulverized dried beef, or insert a small plug of cotton-wool,
moistened with brandy, and rolled in alum.' I'll carry some brandy and
alum the next time I go goose-shooting."

"Or provide a lunch of dried beef," laughed La Salle; "but you had
better keep your shoulder free after this, and you'll have no trouble.
There, the bleeding has stopped, and you'd better load up, while I clean
away this blood, and cover the boards with clean ice."

In a short time the marks of the disaster were removed, and the hunters
again took shelter from the increasing storm, which had set in harder
than ever. The snow, however, inconvenienced the friends but little, and
as Kennedy could not read, they talked over the cause of his little
accident.

"I had no idea that a gun could kick with such force. I shan't dare to
fire her ag