96 Wilderness Ways. 



every few years, as among rabbits), and they would 

 come struggling out of the deep water to rest on the 

 sand, only - to be caught by the minks and fish-hawks 

 and bears and Old Whitehead, all of whom were 

 waiting and hungry for fish. 



For several days I put a big bait of trout and white- 

 fish on the edge of the shallows. The first two baits 

 were put out late in the afternoon, and a bear got 

 them both the next night. Then I put them out in 

 the early morning, and before noon Cheplahgan had 

 found them. He came straight as a string from his 

 watch place over the mountain, miles away, causing 

 me to wonder greatly what strange sixth sense guided 

 him ; for sight and smell seemed equally out of the 

 question. The next day he came again. Then I 

 placed the best bait of all in the shallows, and hid 

 in the dense underbrush near, with my gun. 



He came at last, after hours of waiting, dropping 

 from above the tree-tops with a heavy rustling of 

 pinions. And as he touched the old log, and spread 

 his broad white tail, I saw and was proud of the gap 

 which my bullet had made weeks before. He stood 

 there a moment erect and splendid, head, neck, and 

 tail a shining white; even the dark brown feathers 

 of his body glinted in the bright sunshine. And he 

 turned his head slowly from side to side, his keen 



