A NIGHT IN THE MAINE WOODS. 



73 



the stillness with the weird, melancholy 

 hoot, in the woods near the shore, and 

 I knew some less wary bird or animal 

 would soon tall a prey to it 1 - vicious beak 



Soon, again, the stillness was broken 

 by the barking of a fox up on the moun- 

 tain-side, and as I approached the marsh 

 at the entrance of the brook, a great blue 



and talons. 



SUNSET AT LAKE WEBB, WELD, MAINE. 



Then the loud, hoarse laugh 



of a loon came answering back from 

 out on the lake; and once more all was 

 quiet. The bats came circling about my 

 light, wondering, no doubt, why I could 

 not see in the dark like themselves. 



heron rose slowly up from the edge of the 

 water, and with a low "squawk" at his 

 being so rudely disturbed, he disap- 

 peared over the tree-tops into the black- 

 ness beyond. I then paddled slowly and 

 noiselessly up the stream. Here was the 



'IT WAS A QUIET AND BEAUTIFUL EVENING. * * * NO SOUNDS TO BE HEARD 

 EXCEPT THE OCCASIONAL TWITTERING OF BIRDS." 



