160 BIRD-LAND ECHOES. 



the moonlight makes 'em ! They're after fish, I 

 suppose?" and the miller paused for a reply. 



I merely nodded assent. 



"Well, they must be pretty supple to catch 'em. 

 I've tried dartin' a scoop-net after minnies, and it's 

 more work than fun, and the herons, as you call 'em, 

 have to go about it one at a time. Lean see how a 

 kingfisher can dive for a fish, but these quoks don't 

 dive, do they?" 



I nodded dissent 



"A shootin' out of their long necks and the 

 thing's done. Well, it beats me," and the miller fell 

 to musing on the marvellous things he had seen. 



" Did you ever go to the pond-head," he asked, 

 after a few minutes' silence, "and see the herons' 

 nests?" 



I told him that I had. 



" Well, I went once and saw some fun if I didn't 

 see the nests the birds had set up in the trees," and 

 the miller began laughing to himself. 



"Tell me," I suggested. 



" Course I will ; but I wouldn't if you was the 

 same stripe," he replied. 



"Why not?" I asked, in some surprise. 



" Well, it was a joke o' mine, and this is how I shut 

 'em off. Some men came down here from town and 

 hired my boat about sunset, and, by good luck, I 

 happened to see that a stick one of 'em carried was 

 a cane gun. It struck me all of a sudden they 

 might be up to some mischief as to them big and 

 little cranes, so I followed 'em, soon as dark, and 



