94 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



Having admired them sufficiently, I passed 

 on. Titlarks were beginning to abound, but 

 where were the longspurs ? A shot was 

 fired some distance away, and as I looked 

 in that direction two great blue herons went 

 flying across the marsh, each with his legs 

 behind him. It was good to see them still 

 able to fly. 



Then something I have no idea what ; 

 no sight or sound that I was sensible of 

 told me to look at a bird beside the little 

 pool of water I had just passed. It was 

 another white-rumped sandpiper, all by him- 

 self, nearer to me even than those I had left 

 a little way back. What a beauty he was ! 

 his dark eye (which I could see winking), 

 the lovely cinnamon-brown shading of his 

 back and wings, setting off the marbled 

 black and white, and his shyly confiding 

 demeanor. I had scarcely stopped before 

 he flew to my side of the pool and stood 

 as near me as he could get too near to 

 be shot at. He too had been hit, or so it 

 seemed. One foot was painful, though he 

 could put it down, if necessary, and even 

 take a limping step upon it. Happy bird ! 

 He had fared well ! 



