A TORPEDO IN FEATHERS 151 



vened. His long, lithe, black body curving 

 like a snake's, he ran down the bank, lifted 

 his triangular vicious-looking head for a 

 survey of the lake, and plunged into the 

 water with a low splash. 



Now, the vision of the mink, though sharp 

 enough at close quarters, has nothing like 

 the power and penetration of the loon's. 

 The mink could see the islet, the rocks, the 

 bushes, the sentinel fir-tree, but he could 

 not make out the figure of the loon standing 

 beside the nest. The loon, on the other 

 hand, could see him with absolute distinct- 

 ness, as if not more than fifty feet away. 



As has been already noted, the day was 

 not well chosen for the mink's trip to the 

 islet. The loon stiffened himself with anger, 

 and his round bright eyes hardened im- 

 placably. The mother settled down closer 

 over the stirring eggs, and turned her head 

 to stare malevolently at the long pointed 

 trail which the swimmer's head was drawing 

 on the lake surface. Her mate stood for 

 some seconds as motionless as a charred 

 stump. Then, slipping noiselessly down the 

 bank, he glided into the water and dived from 

 sight. 



The lake was deep at this point, the main 

 channel of the stream upon which the lake 



