36 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



bird was behind, walking vigilantly and with 

 stately dignity. The youngster on the log came 

 up to me and pecked at a button on my coat. I 

 turned to look. This told the mother that I was 

 alive. It suggested danger. She instantly flung 

 herself at me and struck me a slap on the side of the 

 head. Dropping back she again lunged and beat 

 me with her wings. Her brave behaviour was very 

 like that of a hen in the defence of her chicks. 



Once, just before sundown, a solitaire lighted 

 on a tall spruce top and poured forth his elemental 

 and eloquent song. It was divinely beautiful in 

 the evening hush of the wilderness. He sang 

 with all his melody and all his might. Often in his 

 enthusiasm he hurled himself upward or outward 

 from the tree-top, then settled or returned on easy, 

 outstretched wings, singing all the time. No song 

 that I have ever heard so harmonizes with the si- 

 lences and the feeling of a mountain wilderness or 

 so completely puts one in tune with the universe 

 as the marvellous melody of the solitaire. 



Momentarily one day I took my eyes from the 

 woodpeckers. A rabbit came hopping along, com- 

 pletely unmindful of my presence, passed me, and 

 presently disappeared among the trees. A minute 

 later a soft-footed coyote came following on the 

 rabbit's trail. Though so near he evidently did not 

 see me, but hurried along and disappeared behind 

 an old pine. I do not know what happened. 



On another occasion a flutter of wings and a 



