f rocks
stood out of the water, so placed that as soon as he reached them he
could leap from one to the other, and settle himself down almost in the
very middle of the river; and when there he determined to wait his
chance and see if he could not shoot two or three of the largest trout
for their meal that night.

The plan was no sooner thought of than Bart proceeded to put it in
execution.

He waded the shallow pretty easily, though he could not help wondering
at the manner in which his feet sank down into the soft sand, which
seemed to let them in right up to the knees at once, and then to close
so tightly round them that, to use his own words, he seemed to have been
thrusting his legs into leaden boots. However, he dragged them out,
reached the first rock of the barrier or reef, and stood for a few
minutes enjoying the beauty of the scene, while the stream rushed by on
either side with tremendous force.

The next stone was a good five feet away, with a deep glassy flood
rushing around. Bart leaped over it, landed safely, and found the next
rock quite six feet distant, and a good deal higher than the one he was
upon.

He paused for a moment or two to think what would be the consequences if
he did not reach this stone, and judged that it meant a good ducking and
a bit of a swim to one of the shallows below.

"But I should get my rifle and cartridges wet," he said aloud, "and that
would never do. Shall I? Shan't I?"

Bart's answer was to gather himself up and leap, with the result that he
just reached the edge of the rock, and throwing himself forward managed
to hold on, and then scramble up in safety.

Going back's easy enough, thought Bart, as he prepared to bound to the
next rock, a long mass, like the back of some monstrous alligator just
rising above the flood. Along this he walked seven or eight yards,
jumped from block to block of a dozen more rugged pieces, and then
bounded upon a roughly semi-circular piece that ended the ridge like a
bastion, beyond which the water ran deep and swift, with many an eddy
and mighty curl.

"This is grand!" cried Bart, whose eyes flashed with pleasure; and
settling himself down in a comfortable position, he laid his rifle
across his knees with the intention of watching the fish in a shallow
just above him, but only to forget all about them directly after, as he
sat enjoying the beauties of the scene, and wished that his sisterly
companion Maude were there to see how