174 EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 



tinuation of the marsh, and decided that we had time 

 for just one more exploring trip. Here we found the 

 worst going of the day. In front of us were innum- 

 erable dry cat-tail stalks and hollow reed-stems, 

 while the mud was deeper and the mosquitoes were 

 fiercer than in the main swamp. 



At last the Banker and the Architect sat down 

 exhausted under a tree, while the Artist and myself 

 planned to cross to a fringe of woods on the farther 

 side before giving up. In the middle of the marsh 

 we separated, and before long I found myself on the 

 trail of another marsh hawk's nest. It was evidently 

 close at hand, for both the birds swooped down and 

 circled around my head, calling frantically all the 

 time. Look as I would, however, I could find no trace 

 of the nest. We reached the woods without finding 

 anything and came back together. When we were 

 within two hundred yards of where the other two 

 were luxuriously waiting for us in the shade, from 

 under my very feet flapped a monstrous bird nearly 

 three feet high. It was the bittern. I was so close 

 that I could see the yellow bill, and the glossy black 

 on the sides of the neck and tips of the wings, and 

 the different shades of brown on back, head, and 

 wings. As it sprang up, it gave a hoarse cry and 

 flapped off with labored strokes of its broad wings. 

 Right before me was a flat platform of reeds about a 

 foot in diameter, well packed down and raised about 

 five inches from the water. On this platform were a 

 shred or so of down and four eggs of a dull coffee 

 color. In a moment the Banker and the Architect 



