208 THE HERON. 



to lift his blue bulk into the air, and, Tvith long- 

 depending legs, at first floated away like a wearied 

 thing, but soon, as his plumes felt the current of air 

 homewards flowing, urged swifter and swifter his 

 easy course, — laggard and lazy no more, leaving 

 leagues behind him, ere you had shifted your mo- 

 tion in watching his cloud-lil^e career, soon invi- 

 sible among the w^oods." " Into the silent twilight of 

 many a wdld rock-and-river scene, beautiful and be- 

 wildering as the faiiy w^ork of sleep, will he find him- 

 self brought, who knows where to seek the heron in 

 all his solitar}^ haunts. Often, when the moors are 

 storm-swept, and the heron's bill would be baffled by 

 the waves of tarn and loch, he sails away from his 

 s\ringing-tree, and through some open glade dipping 

 down to the secluded stream, alights within the calm 

 chasm, and folds his wings in the breezeless air. A 

 better day, a better hour, a better minute, for fish- 

 ing, could not have been chosen by Mr. Heron, 

 who is already swallowing a par. Another — and 

 another ! — but something falls from the rock into 

 the water; and suspicious, though unalarmed, he 

 leisurely addresses himself to a short flight up the 

 channel, round that tower-like cliff, standing strangely 

 by itself, with a crest of self-so^^'n flowering shrubs. 

 Thou believest thyself to be alone, for the otter, thou 

 knowest, loves not such very rocky rivers ; and fish, 

 with bitten shoulder, seldom lies here — that epicure's 

 tasted prey ! " 



