“Ugh! Goodness!” exclaimed Joe, his hat striken down over his eyes by the descending panther, and, leaping over the frail barrier of bushes into the water, he plunged forward and executed a series of diving evolutions, as if still endeavouring to elude the clutches of the carnivorous beast, which he imagined was after him. [Illustration: He plunged forward.] He plunged forward, and executed a series of diving evolutions. “Dod—come out of the pond! Its dead—didn’t you hear _me_ shoot?” said Sneak, who had by this time paddled a little canoe in which he had been seated to the shore. But Joe continued his exercises, his crushed hat not only depriving him of sight, but rendering him deaf to the laughter that burst from Glenn and Sneak. Sneak ran round to the opposite side of the lake to a point that Joe was approaching, (though all unconscious of his destination,) and remained there till the poor fellow pushed his half-submerged head against the grass, when he seized him furiously and bore him a few paces from the water, in spite of his cries and struggles. “_I_ ain’t the painter!” said Sneak, at length weary of the illusion, and dragging Joe’s hat from his head. “Ha! hang it! ha!” cried Joe, staring at Sneak and Glenn in bewilderment. “Where is it?” he cried, when in some degree recovered from his great perturbation. “Didn’t you hear _me_ shoot? Of course its dead!” replied Sneak. “Which do you prefer, Joe, _ducking_ or _fishing_?” asked Glenn. “I never saw a feller _duck_ his head so,” said Sneak. “Ha! ha! ha! you thought I was frightened, and trying to get away from the panther! But you were _much_ mistaken. I was chasing a muskrat—I got wet in the river, and was determined to see—” “You couldn’t see your own nose!” interrupted Sneak. “If I couldn’t see, I suppose I could hear him run!” replied Joe. “You couldn’t ’ave heard thunder!” said Sneak. “Did you ever try it?” asked Joe. “No,” replied Sneak. “Then you don’t know,” replied Joe; “and now I’m ready to kill a duck,” he continued, looking up at a number of water-fowl sailing round and awaiting their departure to dip into the water. “I will leave you here, Joe. When you hear me fire at the other lake, you may expect the ducks that escape me to visit you,” observed Glenn, and immediately after disappeared in the bushes. “And I’ll take the painter’s hide off,” said Sneak, going with Joe to the blind, where he quietly commenced his labour, that Joe’s sport might not be interrupted. Several flocks of geese and ducks yet flew round above, and gradually drew nearer to the earth, but still fearful of danger and cautiously reconnoitering the premises. “Suppose I pink one of them on the wing?” said Joe, looking up. “I don’t believe you _kin_,” said Sneak, as he tugged at the panther’s hide. “Wait till they come round the next time, and I’ll show you—so look out,” said Joe.