The Beach Angler 213 



here, jutting from the sands that had pulled it down and 

 half buried it, a boat of foreign make. 



The gale had spent its fury ; the clouds in great rounded 

 masses shone with golden tints and hung about the distant 

 horizon, like forces that had been called off but were yet un- 

 decided. Then the sun burst through a rift and illumined 

 land, sea and dunes with its splendors, and all nature seemed 

 to rejoice. The trees scintillated with drops of water, and 

 as the soft wind rose it shook them off in brilliant showers. 

 The sea became blue again, except near shore where the 

 sands still colored it in tints of green and amber. From 

 early morning the crows had been flying from the western 

 hills, and were striking objects upon the sands. The gulls 

 had left the harbor, and flew along the wide beach or sat 

 upon the shining sands, watching their reflections as in a 

 glass, and basking in the sun. Even the dunes dried quickly, 

 and by noon in places the wrecks of the sand grass raised 

 their mutilated points to meet the genial warmth. 



Such a storm plays havoc with the birds. If in early 

 spring during the time of migration, it drives them far in- 

 land. Many are beaten into the sea, while others, confused 

 by the staring eye of the coast light with its blazing radiance, 

 plunge into the halo about it, striking the glass to fall, dead 

 and dying, at its base. These are mostly shore birds — 

 robins, thrushes, linnets, bluebirds, and others which have 

 been flying at night. 



On such beaches after a storm one could hardly expect 

 to find an angler, and a heavy pounding surf would seem to 

 be the last place in which to look for fish ; yet many fishes 

 are surf-lovers, and many anglers delight to wade out, waist 

 deep, when the beach slopes gradually, and cast far out into 

 the surf, and drink in the spume of coming waves. 



One of the finest beaches of this kind is at Amelia Island, 

 Florida, south of the mouth of St. Mary River, and many 

 a time I have fished from these sands, alone with the excep- 

 tion of my saddle horse, who bore me down from Fernan- 



