WILDWOOD WAYS 



thought, breasted it desperately all the 

 long night in his brave fight to keep it 

 open. 



How long without human intervention 

 he might brave the elements and keep 

 his narrowing circle unfrozen would of 

 course depend on the weather. If it did 

 not come on too severe he might live on 

 there till his wing healed and by a mir- 

 acle win again to flight and safety. The 

 cold would not trouble him nor the icy 

 water. The loon winters anywhere 

 from southern Massachusetts south and, 

 strong and well, has no fear of winter. 

 But there entered into this the human 

 equation. The next man along would 

 likely go home and get a shotgun. 



As I noted all this a head appeared 



above the water in the pool. There was 



another shriek of alarm and it vanished 



in a flash and a splash. It was forty sec- 



60 



