28 By Leafy Ways. 



easily as on dry land, and the idea seems not yet 

 altogether abandoned. 



Beyond the dipper's nest runs out a long spit of 

 sand, a favourite landing-place for the otter, whose 

 footmarks, with those of his brother angler, the heron, 

 are even now clearly printed on the yellow surface. 



Here the path skirts a wide reach of the river, 

 bordered with royal fern just bursting into leaf, and 

 tall willow herbs, that give promise of a fringe of purple 

 along the green margin. 



A solitary sandpiper starts up at the approach of 

 footsteps, and flickers down the shore, whistling his 

 three mournful musical notes. 



A kingfisher darts across the shining level where 



The swallows skim o'er the silver rim, 



And dimple the magic glass, 

 From the deeps below rise breasts of snow, 



To meet them as they pass ; 

 And .they flash and dip in the ruffled wave, 



And a moment they float and quiver, 

 Through the widening rings, which their purple wings 



Beat out of the crystal river. 



As the angler strolls leisurely along the dubious 

 path that crosses the sunny clearings among the thick, 

 gray growth of young oak-trees, vipers, basking on 

 stony banks, glide rustling away into the thickets ; 

 startled rabbits hurry under the shelter of the luxuriant 

 rhododendrons, whose warm belt of colour skirts the 

 bird-haunted cliffs which here break the round swell 

 of the valley. 



