38 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



into the nest by a reckless jump. There was no 

 assurance, however, if he did so, that the nest 

 would support his weight. It was built for young 

 Fish-Hawks, not for boys. If he tried that leap 

 and missed, or if the nest gave way, nothing could 

 keep him from plunging to the ground below. 



Shan looked down. It was a sixty-foot drop. 



No, that was a bit too dangerous. He would 

 have to risk the half-dead branch. If it broke, 

 he was still near enough to be able to swing him- 

 self back to the main trunk. The boy raised him- 

 self gingerly on the suspected branch. It held. 



Cautiously, in order not to put too sudden a 

 strain on the frail support, and grasping the lower 

 branch with his toes rather than with the sole of 

 the foot, so as to keep the point of weight as near 

 the trunk as possible, Shan brought up his other 

 foot, raising himself so that his head was almost 

 on a level with the top of the nest. He felt a mo- 

 ment's sense of loss of balance and liis left hand 

 shot out to grasp the sticks which formed the 

 foundation of the nest. 



The sight of the boy's hand actually touching 

 the nest was too much for the enraged Fish-Hawk. 



He closed his wings and shot downward, striking 

 mth his talons. 



