312 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



sandy soil gives rise to a flourishing growth of 

 shrubs, vines and grasses, but the trees which 

 the first explorer found there, a hundred years 

 ago, have all disappeared. 



When the low shores of Laysan appeared before 

 them, Shan, though expressionless as ever, was in 

 a state of the most lively anticipation. Lacking 

 any leaf to chew, he had found a piece of tarred 

 string, the flavor of which reminded him of the 

 North Carolina pines. At last the Revenue Cut- 

 ter dropped anchor and the first boat went ashore, 

 with the members of the expedition. 



There, tragedy awaited. 



Far and wide, to right and left, lay great heaps 

 of dead birds. Half -bleached skeletons lay in piles 

 all over the island. The whole place reeked of 

 destruction and slaughter. 



The Feather Man stepped out of the boat and 

 looked around. 



"Plume pirates!" he said. 



The devastation was appalling. Shan, wander- 

 ing over the shore, came to one of the old work 

 buildings used formerly by a guano company which 

 had taken all the guano from the island. This had 

 been used as a storehouse by the poachers. Al- 

 though its side had been torn out and the building 



