"
The boys drew on their clothes, which were but partially dry, and,
after pulling ashore to get the hounds, which had kept up a loud
barking all the time, they turned the boat's head toward home.
After changing their clothes and eating a hearty dinner--during which
they related their adventure to Mrs. Nelson and Julia--they carefully
removed the buck's skin, and hung it up in the shop by a fire to dry.
Their guns were found to be none the worse for their ducking; the
loads, of course, were wet, and had to be drawn, but a good coat of
oil, and a thorough rubbing inside and out, made them look as good as
new.
During the afternoon, as the boys sat on the piazza in front of the
house, talking over the events of the morning, their attention was
attracted by a combat that was going on between one of Frank's pet
kingbirds and a red-headed woodpecker. The latter was flying zigzag
through the air, and the kingbird was pecking him most unmercifully.
At length the woodpecker took refuge in a tree that stood on the bank
of the creek, and then seemed perfectly at his ease.
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