THE WOODCOCK'. 35 



entered a new world as the paddle sent it gliding 

 among fallen trees, around sharp elbows, and 

 through swirling eddies. Amid strange fragrance 

 from a million flowers, amid the hum of bees, 

 gay dragon-flies, and rattling locusts, we wound 

 along banks covered with long grass. Under 

 masses of green and white from climbing vines 

 we paddled, under the waving arms of giant elms 

 and the storm-scarred limbs of aged cottonwoods 

 still reaching skyward in defiance of time, by 

 little open bays where towered the arrowy shafts 

 of the wild rice, and blackbirds rose in roaring 

 flocks, and the wood-duck with dolorous Wee-wce- 

 wee-wee sought safety in the air, while the little 

 yellow brood went flapping to the reeds for 

 shelter. All seemed so full of life : the broad 

 head of the maple brightly pictured in the still 

 water over which the canoe was gliding; the 

 gray squirrel, with bushy tail outspread, taking 

 his midday rest ; the wild pigeon, like an arrow 

 feathered with white and gray, hissing with speed 

 through the openings; dark shining turtles slip- 

 ping with soft splash from the driftwood ; little 

 nut-hatches stealing along the limbs above and 

 reaching down to pick off slugs ; and the king- 



