WATCHING THE DAY DIE 239 



came along high in air and held back to survey 

 the coast, searched the rushy fringes for sign of 

 foe, and examined critically the canoe and figure 

 in it before venturing to cross the danger zone. 

 The canvasbacks, living rockets that they are, 

 had made up their stupid minds to go lakewards, 

 and would have tried it even had they known 

 that forty gunners barred the way ; the mallards, 

 less speedy, but more crafty, were not taking 

 chances, and to-day the mallard still thrives on 

 other marshes where the canvasback is but a 

 memory. 



Out to the westward, following a magic sun- 

 set, was a rosy afterglow, with fairy cloud- 

 patches all repeated in a mystic nether-world of 

 reflection; overhead a veery thrush whispered 

 softly, " Peert ! " and again more faintly to the 

 southward; from over the woods came the dis- 

 cordant squawk of a night heron; the musical 

 whiffle of a mallard wing sifted down through 

 the quiet, night air ; the ritz ritz of sharp muskrat 

 teeth sounded in the reeds; a little long-eared 

 owl squeaked in the willows; his great horned 

 relative " Hoo-hooed " from the dark oaks; then 

 the canoe grated discordantly on the landing and 

 another September day was done. 



