A VISITATION OF SWANS 



held a wonderful, never-to-be-forgotten sight, a 

 flock of snow-white swans (twenty-four in num- 

 ber, as the count showed) already scaling down- 

 ward, headed for the lake. Down they came, little 

 by little, wings sharply set, necks curved upward 

 and backward, by way of slackening the descent, 

 as I judged, and the big black feet sprawling out 

 in front, ready for the water. Four of the birds 

 took it at once, but the rest acted as if they 

 would go farther. Then the eight swimmers set 

 up an appealing chorus : " Come in ! O come in ! " 

 whereupon the twenty turned, and in half a min- 

 ute or less the twenty-eight birds were all in the 

 water in a close bunch. 



For a little while there was a great commotion 

 ("a great hullabaloo " the note-book has it, a pen- 

 cil being always under less restraint in its use 

 of the vernacular than a pen quite ventures to 

 be), but in a few minutes everything was quiet 

 again, and every bird's head hidden under its 

 wing. Half an hour later three others were toled 

 down into the sleeping circle. 



*' O rest ye, brother mariners ; we will not wander more." 



And now we had thirty-one! It was fortune to 

 turn a man's head ; but, as it seemed, it was too 

 good to last. 



Within ten minutes two men, who had secured 

 89 



