226 MYSTERIES OF THE MARSH 



flight, he could be seen far off over the silent 

 marsh. 



The manners of this marsh-dweller were 

 curious to watch. Sometimes he crept along 

 with neck thrust forward its full length and 

 level with his body, legs crouched, looking 

 like a cat about to spring. On one occasion 

 he suddenly pitched forward and downward 

 as if his prey were in a hole, and so violently 

 that he lost his balance, and saved himself 

 from falling on his head only by a wild flap- 

 ping of his sail-like wings. From this scram- 

 ble he reappeared bearing something like a 

 snake or an eel, which he shook and beat and 

 at last ate. 



Once this most stately personage had an 

 unusually hard time disposing of his catch, 

 and another heron who was on the marsh 

 drew near, as if he would like to share. The 

 possessor of the dainty, whatever it was, 

 stood with feathers fluffed out till he looked 

 twice as big as usual, and when the intruder 

 came near, both the great creatures flapped 

 their wings and sprang up three or four feet, 

 exactly like two quarrelsome cocks. It was 

 very comical, and surprised one as much as 



