250 VIRGINIA 



In the same place I heard a tremendous 

 hammering a little on one side of me, so 

 vigorous a piece of work that I was per- 

 suaded the workman could be nobody but 

 a pileated woodpecker. A long time I stood 

 with my gaze fastened upon the tree from 

 which the noise seemed to come. Would 

 the fellow never show himself ? Yes, he put 

 his head out from behind a limb at last 

 (what a fiery crest !), saw me on the instant, 

 and was gone like a flash. Then from a 

 little distance he set up a resounding halloo. 

 This was only the second time that birds of 

 his kind had been seen hereabout, but the 

 voice had been heard daily, and more than 

 once I had noticed what I could have no 

 doubt were nest-holes of their making. One 

 of these, on Buck Hill, freshly cut, if 

 appearances went for anything, I under- 

 took to play the spy upon ; but if the nest 

 was indeed in use the birds were too wary 

 for me, or I was very unfortunate in my 

 choice of hours. Time was precious, and 

 the secret seemed likely to cost more than it 

 would bring, with so many other matters in- 

 viting my attention. Nest or no nest, I was 

 glad to be within the frequent sound of that 



