74 More Tales of the Birds 



Sandpiper opened his too, but his heart sank 

 within him, and he clung still more passionately 

 to his stone. 



Two figures came rapidly up the river-bank, 

 two drenched human creatures, fighting against 

 the wind, but enjoying it. Just as they came 

 level with the boulder they caught the sound of 

 a faint " whee-et." The angler turned sharp 

 round, and after some search with a fieldglass, 

 discovered the little brown object on the 

 boulder. 



" It's a young one," he said to his companion : 

 " it's a veritable infant ! And see, it can't fly, 

 it's clutching at the stone like grim death ! By 

 all that's feathered, it must be one of our young 

 friends blown away, for there's no brood between 

 them and this, and the wind's been down stream 

 pretty well all day. I say, we must have him off 

 that somehow." They looked at each other and 

 at the swollen river. 



"I'll go," said the friend the next moment : 

 " I'm taller and stronger. I should rather like a 

 towzle, but it won't be easy. I can't try it from 

 above, or I shall come with a bang on the stone : 



