The Sandpipers 73 



face of the stone, and felt himself safe at 

 last. 



Safe ! for the moment perhaps, but what was 

 to become of him ? The water was surging and 

 roaring against his boulder : was it going to rise 

 upon him and carry him away helpless ? The 

 wind was so strong that to fly up stream was 

 hopeless, and as he sat there exhausted, he felt 

 that he could not even use his wings to get to 

 shore. Uttering from time to time a plaintive 

 " wheet," he clung to the stone with all his 

 might, balancing himself with body and tail against 

 the gusts : not reflecting, nor despairing, but just 

 wondering what would happen. 



The Sandmartins shot by overhead, but not one 

 of them seemed to notice him, or to be the least 

 inclined to perch on his stone. A Dipper came 

 slowly up stream against the wind, perched on 

 another stone not far off, bowed repeatedly and 

 went on again. A Grey Wagtail coming down 

 stream in graceful waves of flight, poised himself 

 over the stone, and for a moment actually 

 alighted on it : then, seeing his mate pass down 

 after him, opened his wings and was gone. The 



