"He must be dead as a door-nail now," said Jack at length. "Let's right the canoe and see. I hope the body won't sink, after all the trouble we've had."
Moving with great circumspection, they turned the canoe over right side up, and to their great delight the body of the animal floated out as lifeless as the paddles that were beside it.
"Hurrah!" cried Ray. "We've got him right enough. Now, then, let's bale out the canoe and make for shore as quick as we can."
For such expert canoeists this was not a matter of much difficulty, and in a little while they were underway again, with their furry victim safely stowed amidships.
They were naturally very jubilant over what they had done, and exhibited their prize with much pride.
It proved to be a fine specimen of the Canadian lynx, an animal very rare in that part of the country. In fact, none had been seen there for many years.
On the advice of their parents the boys presented the lynx to the Natural History Society, by whom it was carefully mounted and placed in a prominent position, with a card at its feet giving the credit to the donors.
Since then Ray and Jack are always eager to take friends and visitors to the museum, and to make sure that they do not miss the section in which the big lynx stands so well to the front.