54 CAMPING WITH THE PRESIDENT 



large, partly open pool, but did not get a rise; too much 

 ice in the stream, I concluded. Very soon my attention 

 was attracted by a strange note, or call, in the spruce 

 woods. The President had also noticed it, and, with 

 me, wondered what made it. Was it bird or beast ? 

 Billy Hofer said he thought it was an owl, but it in no 

 way suggested an owl, and the sun was shining brightly. 

 It was a sound such as a boy might make by blowing 

 in the neck of an empty bottle. Presently we heard 

 it beyond us on the other side of the creek, which was 

 pretty good proof that the creature had wings. 



"Let's go run that bird down," said the President 

 to me. 



So off we started across a small, open, snow-streaked 

 plain, toward the woods beyond it. We soon decided 

 that the bird was on the top of one of a group of tall 

 spruces. After much skipping about over logs and 

 rocks, and much craning of our necks, we made him 

 out on the peak of a spruce. I imitated his call, when 

 he turned his head down toward us, but we could not 

 make out what he was. 



" Why did we not think to bring the glasses ? " said 

 the President. 



"I will run and get them," I replied. 



"No," said he, "you stay here and keep that bird 

 treed, and I will fetch them." 



So off he went like a boy, and was very soon back 

 with the glasses. We quickly made out that it was 

 indeed an owl, the pigmy owl, as it turned out, 

 not much larger than a bluebird. I think the Presi- 

 dent was as pleased as if we had bagged some big 

 game. He had never seen the bird before. 



Throughout the trip I found his interest in bird life 



