TOUCHES OF NATURE 59 
form a sharp point to its tapering neck. Its wings 
are far in front and its legs equally far in the rear, 
and its course through the crystal depths is like the 
speed of an arrow. In the northern lakes it has 
been taken forty feet under water upon hooks baited 
for the great lake trout. I had never seen one till 
last fall, when one appeared on the river in front of 
my house. I knew instantly it was the loon. Who 
could not tell a loon a half mile or more away, 
though he had never seen one before? The river 
was like glass, and every movement of the bird as 
it sported about broke the surface into ripples, that 
revealed it far and wide. Presently a boat shot out 
from shore, and went ripping up the surface toward 
the loon. The creature at once seemed to divine 
the intentions of the boatman, and sidled off 
obliquely, keeping a sharp lookout as if to make 
sure it was pursued. A steamer came down and 
passed between them, and when the way was again 
clear the loon was still swimming on the surface. 
Presently it disappeared under the water, and the 
boatman pulled sharp and hard. In a few moments 
the bird reappeared some rods farther on, as if to 
make an observation. Seeing it was being pursued, 
and no mistake, it dived quickly, and, when it came 
up again, had gone many times as far as the boat 
had in the same space of time. Then it dived again 
and distanced its pursuer so easily that he gave over 
the chase and rested upon his oars. But the bird 
made a final plunge, and, when it emerged upon the 
surface again, it was over a mile away. Its course 
