IN THE OOZY PLACES 167 



in fact was a haven for the birds that usually are 

 found in more extensive woods. Several black- 

 crowned night herons with noisy " squawk- 

 wauk" flopped out of the willows at our ap- 

 proach; two young long-eared owls stared at us 

 from a willow within a few feet ; a nighthawk on 

 his branch awoke and flitted off upstream; and 

 bronzed grackles, robins, kingbirds, song spar- 

 rows, and even waxwings were all there at home 

 to callers. 



About an hour before sundown we entered a 

 strip of real woods. The thickets of willows and 

 osiers were backed by elms, ash-leafed maples, 

 and poplars ; and here we pulled the canoe ashore 

 and made camp. As soon as the kettle could be 

 persuaded to bubble, we had supper; then we 

 made preparation for the night. This consisted 

 of throwing a matting of grass upon the dry, 

 sandy ground and arranging the canvas upon it. 

 As the latter was a long strip, it was turned up 

 at the head of the bed, brought forward over a 

 horizontal pole placed between two tree-clumps, 

 and the corners then tied to two saplings driven 

 into the ground. Thus we had a bed, one wall, 

 and a roof. When the blanket was spread, it 

 was ready. Then we idled around our little fire, 



