made up of a dozen or fifteen young men 
and boys, all eager to become fine nature 
photographers. Their interest was very great 
just at that time, for a well-known magazine in 
New York had offered a handsome present to 
the boy under seventeen who should send the 
best and most interesting picture that he had 
made of a wild bird or wild animal. Several 
members of the club had already taken pictures 
of squirrels, robins on their nests, blue-jays at a 
drinking fountain, and similar subjects. One 
boy had a fine picture of a nuthatch perched 
head downward on a tree, and most of the boys 
thought he was sure to win the prize. 
During the course of my remarks I spoke of 
visiting the old Lipsey place and told of a way 
by which with the use of a mirror to reflect the 
sunlight up under the porch roof one might get a 
good picture of the phoebe’s nest I had seen. 
When I mentioned the old house I noticed that 
one of the larger boys turned suddenly and 
whispered something to the fellow who sat next 
to him. It seems they already knew of the place 
and of the tales that were told about it. 
180 
