204 FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA 



made aware of what was going on by hear- 

 ing the notes overhead. 



One grand flight I did see from begin- 

 ning to end, and it was wonderful, amazing, 

 astounding. So I thought, at all events. 

 There was no telhng, of course, what altitude 

 the bird reached, but it might have been 

 miles, so far as the effect upon the beholder's 

 emotions was concerned. It seemed as if 

 the fellow never would be done. " Higher 

 stiU, and higher." Again and again this 

 line of Shelley came to my lips, as, after 

 every bar of music, the bird pushed nearer 

 and nearer to the sky. At last he came 

 down ; and this, my friend and I always 

 agreed, was the most exciting moment of all. 

 He closed his wings and literally shot to the 

 ground head first, like an arrow. " Wonder- 

 ful ! " said I, " wonderful ! " And the other 

 man said : " If I could do that I would 

 never do anything else." 



Here my story might properly enough end. 

 The nest of which we had talked was not 

 discovered. My own beating over of the 

 fields came to nothing, and my companion, 

 as if unwilling to deprive me of a possible 



