28 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



fast, but Shan thought of the empty place in his 

 collection and of the delight it would give Bull 

 Adam as well as himself to put a big black mark 

 against the word ''Osprey" in the Encyclopedia 

 at the Cabin. 



Once arrived at the pine ridge there was little 

 need for further direction as to the location of the 

 Fish-Hawk's nest. There it stood, high in the 

 branches of the old cedar, a big conglomeration 

 of branches and bits of wood, round as the top of 

 a large dining-table. A few minutes ' sharp walk- 

 ing brought the lad close to the tree. 



He glanced up. It was not going to be an easy 

 climb. 



Most of the lower limbs of the old cedar were 

 dead, and Shan had learned from painful experi- 

 ence the treacherous brittleness of dry cedar 

 branches. The boughs of most trees give a little 

 "crick!" before they snap, but a cedar branch will 

 break right off without a sound of warning. The 

 larger branches, also, were badly situated for 

 climbing, that is, badly, from the boy's point of 

 view. 



**It almost looks," said Shan, dolefully, '^as if 

 that Fish-Hawk had picked out the worst tree to 

 climb in the whole county!" 



