THE ROBBERS OF THE FALLS 



robbers. Only two days before this I was descending 

 the gorge of another similar mountain stream hardly 

 two miles from here, when I noticed a hawk's nest in 

 an oak tree over the water. It was an old one, not 

 occupied, and presently, as I went on, I came to an- 

 other in the top of a tall dead birch tree, also right over 

 the stream. It was evidently not occupied, but I 

 clapped my hands loudly to inquire, and was surprised 

 to see a Broad-wing fly aw r ay from somewhere lower 

 down, though not from the nest. Innocently assuming 

 that she w r as preparing to use this nest and had been 

 perching silently near it, I was about to go on without 

 climbing, as I had no irons with me, and to return later, 

 when I happened to espy a neat new nest in a low hem- 

 lock, not half as high as the nest in the birch, well con- 

 cealed in the branches. White down clung to the twigs 

 all about it and there was now no question as to where 

 the hawk had flown from. It was only thirty feet up, 

 with branches all the way, and I was quickly examining 

 the two eggs, similar to those of the broad-winged 

 robber of the other falls. Growing beside this tree, at 

 just the right distance to set a camera, was a slender 

 but strong young oak. I had never photographed the 

 Broad-wing Hawk from life, and now, with these two 

 nicely situated nests, certainly there was a fine chance. 

 My friend Ned was as yet inexperienced in the joys 

 and triumphs of hawking and I had him with me a 

 few days later when I made the first try at snapping 

 the Broad-wings, selecting the nest at the big falls. 



38 



