The Sandpipers 59 



among the pebbles, with now and then a little 

 worm, or caterpillar that had fallen from the 

 bushes above : watching the trout turning up 

 their golden sides in the dark water of the pool 

 as they rose to the flies : practising their voices 

 in a feeble piping, and always moving bodies 

 and tails as they saw their parents do it. 



They had very few alarms, but quite enough 

 for practice in hiding. Once as they were fol- 

 lowing their mother by the very edge of the 

 deep pool, a huge silver creature, flashing in the 

 sunlight, leapt clean out of the water and fell in 

 again with a splash. The little ones all dropped 

 to ground and lay silent, but their mother never 

 uttered a note, and they soon got up again. She 

 told them it was only a salmon, who could not 

 possibly do them any harm, and would not if he 

 could ; that she and their father were good friends 

 with the salmon, and often sat on the big boulder 

 under which he loved to lie ; but that it was only 

 a bowing acquaintance, because the salmon could 

 not talk their language. 



Once or twice an angler came along slowly, 

 and then they had to drop while their parents 



