212 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



by, and your eyes and hands are full. Then the 

 tide ebbs, and both fish and fowl are gone. 



Patiently whipping the waters of the lake from 

 my rude float, I became an object of great interest 

 to the loons. I had never seen these birds before in 

 their proper habitat, and the interest was mutual. 

 When they had paused on the Hudson during their 

 spring and fall migrations, I had pursued them in 

 my boat to try to get near them. Now the case 

 was reversed; I was the interloper now, and they 

 would come out and study me. Sometimes six or 

 eight of them would be swimming about watching 

 my movements, but they were wary and made a 

 wide circle. One day one of their number volun- 

 teered to make a thorough reconnoissance. I saw 

 him leave his comrades and swim straight toward 

 me. He came bringing first one eye to bear upon 

 me, then the other. When about half the distance 

 was passed over he began to waver and hesitate. 

 To encourage him I stopped casting, and taking off 

 my hat began to wave it slowly to and fro, as in the 

 act of fanning myself. This started him again, — 

 this was a new trait in the creature that he must 

 scrutinize more closely. On he came, till all his 

 markings were distinctly seen. With one hand I 

 pulled a little revolver from my hip pocket, and 

 when the loon was about fifty yards distant, and had 

 begun to sidle around me, I fired : at the flash I saw 

 two webbed feet twinkle in the air, and the loon 

 was gone! Lead could not have gone down so 

 quickly. The bullet cut across the circles where he 



