Page:Furcountryorseve00vernrich.djvu/191

 TWO SHOTS. 107 Several other animals of the same species were sighted, and the hunters divided into two parties — Marbre and Sabine going after one foe, and Mrs Barnett, Hobson, and the Sergeant, trying to cut off the retreat of another fine animal hiding behind some rocks. Great caution and some artifice was necessary to deal with this crafty animal, which took care not to expose itself to a shot. The pursuit lasted for half-an-hour without success; but at last the poor creature, with the sea on one side and its three enemies on the other, had recourse in its desperation to a flying leap, thinking thus to escape with its life. But Hobson was too quick for it ; and as it bounded by like a flash of lightning, it was struck by a shot, and to every one's surprise, the report of the Lieutenant's gun was succeeded by that of another, and a second ball entered the body of the fox, which fell to the ground mortally wounded. " Hurrah ! hurrah ! " cried Hobson, " it is mine ! " " And mine ! " said another voice, and a stranger stept forward and placed his foot upon the fox just as the Lieutenant was about to raise it. Hobson drew back in astonishment He thought the second ball had been fired by the Sergeant, and found himself face to face with a stranger whose gun was still smoking. The rivals gazed at each other in silence. The rest of the party now approached, and the stranger was quickly joined by twelve comrades, four of whom were like himself The leader wasa tall man — a fine specimen of his class — those Cana- dian trappers described in the romances of Washington Irving, whose competition Hobson had dreaded with such good reason. He wore the traditional costume ascribed to his fellow-hunters by the great American writer; a blanket loosely arranged about his person, a striped cotton shirt, wide cloth trousers, leather gaiters, deerskin mocassins, and a sash of checked woollen stufl' round the waist, from which were suspended his knife, tobacco-pouch, pipe, and a few useful tools. Hobson was right. The man before him was a Frenchman, or at least a descendant of the French Canadians, perhaps an agent of the American Company come to act as a spy on the settlers in the fort. The other four Canadians wore a costume resembling that of their leader, but of coarser materials. The Frenchman bowed politely to Mrs Barnett, and the Lieutenant
 * Canadian travellers," and eight Chippeway Indians.