WINTER PICTURES 



what are known as the loblolly pines, and from 

 ten to twelve inches through at the butt. In a low 

 bottom, among some red cedars, I saw robins and 

 several hermit thrushes, besides the yellow-rumped 

 warbler. 



That night, as the sun went down on the one 

 hand, the full moon rose up on the other, like the 

 opposite side of an enormous scale. The river, too, 

 was presently brimming with the flood tide. It 

 was so still one could have carried a lighted candle 

 from shore to shore. In a little skiff, we floated 

 and paddled up under the shadow of Mount Vernon 

 and into the mouth of a large creek that flanks it 

 on the left. In the profound hush of things, every 

 sound on either shore was distinctly heard. A 

 large bed of ducks were feeding over on the Mary- 

 land side, a mile or more away, and the multitu- 

 dinous sputtering and shuffling of their bills in the 

 water sounded deceptively near. Silently we pad- 

 dled in that direction. When about half a mile from 

 them, all sound of feeding suddenly ceased; then, 

 after a time, as we kept on, there was a great clamor 

 of wings, and the whole bed appeared to take flight. 

 We paused and listened, and presently heard them 

 take to the water again, far below and beyond us. 



We loaded a boat with the decoys that night, 



and in the morning, on the first sign of day, towed 



a box out in position, and anchored it, and disposed 



the decoys about it. Two hundred painted wooden 



247 



