FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



hand-mirror, to search the back of the tunnel. As I was de- 

 spairing, there was thrust suddenly into the light a big scarred 

 beak, the biggest eyes I ever had seen in the head of a bird of that 

 size, and a flaring crest. The figure appeared so startling as it 

 flashed sharply on my vision that I jumped until I dropped the 

 mirror, sliding down into the frog-pond. But I did not mind 

 that. I had a brooding Kingfisher, the bird of ancient mystery, 

 an object of tradition in all time; whether eluding naturalists of 

 Greece, controlling the weather of Italy, or driving away evil luck 

 and devils in Germany. I confess the brooding bird appeared 

 like a devil to me back there in the dark, while as she rushed from 

 the nest flying toward the river, the rattle she rolled was a sound 

 as uncanny as I ever heard from the throat of any bird, save only 

 the Loon. 



What to do was the question. Go after a man and have him 

 dig in to the back of the nest? That would give a picture of the 

 eggs, but no doubt destroy the nest and drive away the birds. 

 "Wait until the young hatched and try for a picture of them? 

 That seemed more likely to yield the best results, for surely 

 when the old were feeding they would not desert the young, 

 even if the nest were opened at the back. Then the babies could 

 be pictured while the old ones were away, carefully replaced, and 

 then, too, there was every chance, that with set cameras, shots 

 at the old birds could be taken as they entered and left the nest. 

 So I decided to wait. That day the bushes were carefully 

 straightened and my tracks covered when I left. Also arrange- 

 ments were made with Mr. Hale's farmer, plowing in the ad- 

 joining field, to watch the pit, and drive away small boys. 



After that I haunted the location. I was there every day. 

 On a morning of the second week of June, with my mirror I 

 caught two little Kingfishers peering into the light. Then I 

 went after help. The earth was so hard that when a big strong 



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