158 DAYS OUT OF DOORS. 



boat boldly over the intervening strip of mud and rowed 

 across the river. Scarcely had her keel grated upon the 

 pebbly beach, than I heard the cheery whistle of the pip- 

 ing plover. There were dozens of these pretty birds, or so 

 it seemed. In and out among the coarse pebbles they ran 

 without fear, and sang their sweet songs at every pause in 

 their erratic courses. Often they chased each other and 

 took short nights over the water, always keeping in line 

 and each piping his very shrillest notes. As I sat quite still 

 several came very near, so near that I could see their every 

 movement distinctly, and was delighted when three perched 

 upon a large and prominent bowlder, sitting as close to- 

 gether as ever huddled three swallows on a telegraph wire. 

 The long threatening rain now commenced to fall in ear- 

 nest and evidently interfered with the plovers so far as their 

 feeding was concerned. In a few moments they had 

 gathered in little knots along the pebbly strand, usually 

 in spots that were somewhat sheltered from the gusty 

 wind. But they were not silent. Their clear, piping notes 

 were heard above the moan in the bending pines, above 

 the dash of the petty surf upon the rocks. Group answered 

 group in such quick succession there were no marked in- 

 tervals of silence ; the patter of the rain was lost in the 

 bell-like music of the merry birds. 



How long the plovers would have remained I can not 

 tell, but it was not practicable for me to spend the whole 

 day sitting in the boat ; I must be moving, having other 

 ends in view. As I stepped upon shore each little com- 

 pany took wing one after another, and uniting far out 

 over the river they bore away down stream. In the driv- 

 ing rain and mist I soon lost them, and the wind brought 

 no tidings of their journey. 



Here, then, at the very outset of a rainy day, I had 

 been well repaid ; but how much I should have lost had I 

 merely retraced my course ! Walking up the river shore 



