THE ROBBERS OF THE FALLS 



robbers. Only two days before this I was descending 

 the gorge of another similar mountain stream hardly 

 two miles from here, when I noticed a hawk's nest in 

 an oak tree over the water. It was an old one, not 

 occupied, and presently, as I went on, I came to an- 

 other in the top of a tall dead birch tree, also right over 

 the stream. It was evidently not occupied, but I 

 clapped my hands loudly to inquire, and was surprised 

 to see a Broad-wing fly away from somewhere lower 

 down, though not from the nest. Innocently assuming 

 that she was preparing to use this nest and had been 

 perching silently near it, I was about to go on without 

 climbing, as I had no irons with me, and to return later, 

 when I happened to espy a neat new nest in a low hem- 

 lock, not half as high as the nest in the birch, well con- 

 cealed in the branches. White down clung to the twigs 

 all about it and there was now no question as to w here 

 the hawk had flown from. It was only thirty feet up, 

 with branches all the way, and I was quickly examining 

 the two eggs, similar to those of the broad-winged 

 robber of the other falls. Growing beside this tree, at 

 just the right distance to set a camera, was a slender 

 but strong young oak. I had never photographed the 

 Broad-wing Hawk from life, and now, with these two 

 nicely situated nests, certainly there was a fine chance. 

 My friend Ned was as yet inexperienced in the joys 

 and triumphs of hawking and I had him with me a 

 few days later when I made the first try at snapping 

 the Broad-wings, selecting the nest at the big falls. 



38 



