And Frank was right.  Many a young hunter, as he lay in bed and heard the wild geese passing over, had determined to have the first shot at them, and many a gun was taken down, and cleaned and loaded, in readiness for the morning’s hunt.

Wild geese seldom remained longer than two or three days about the village, and then they generally staid in the swamp.  This made it difficult for the young hunters to get a shot at them, and only the most active and persevering ever succeeded.

Although for a month the young sportsmen had been expecting them, and had carefully scanned the river every morning, and listened for the welcome “honk-honk” that should announce the arrival of the wished-for game, this was the first flock that had made its appearance.

“I am afraid,” said Archie, “that some one will get the start of us.  Let’s get up.”

“No; lie still and go to sleep,” said Frank.

“I am afraid we shall oversleep ourselves.  I wonder what time it is.”

“I’ll soon find out,” said Frank.

And, bounding out on to the floor, he lighted a match, and held it up before the little clock that stood on the mantle-piece.

“It’s twelve o’clock,” he continued.

And he crawled back into bed, and in a few moments was almost asleep, when Archie suddenly exclaimed,

“They’re coming back!”

And the geese again passed over the house, in full cry.

They knew it was the same flock, because they came from toward the river, and that was the same direction in which they had gone but a few moments before.

In a short time they again returned; and, during the quarter of an hour that followed, they passed over three times more.

“I wonder what is the matter with those geese,” said Archie, at length.

“Nothing,” replied Frank; “only they have got a little bewildered, and don’t know which way to go.”

“Where will we have to go to find them in the morning?”

“Up to the swamp,” answered Frank.  “The last time they passed over they flew toward the north, and the swamp is the only place in that direction where they can go to find water, except Duck Lake, and that is too far for them to fly this stormy night.”

“I wish it was morning,” said Archie, again.  “Let’s get up.”

“What’s the use?  It will be five long hours before it will be light enough to hunt them up; and we might as well go to sleep.”

“I’m afraid we shall sleep too long,” said Archie, again, “and that some one will beat us.”

“No fear of that,” answered Frank; “I’ll wake you up at three o’clock.”

And he turned over and arranged his pillow, and in a few moments was fast asleep.  But Archie was so excited that he found it difficult even to lie still; and he lay awake almost two hours, thinking of the sport they should have in the morning, and at last dropped into an unquiet slumber.