326 The " Hen Hawk " 



coloring that sometimes appears just before sunrise, but 

 no visitors came. The morning slowly wore on until ten 

 o'clock, and if the hawks had not breakfasted, they 

 must h^ve been hungry indeed, judging from my own 

 feelings. I had now been working ten days, and 

 had not made a single' exposure. It was rather dis- 

 couraging; but recalling other photographs for which 

 I had waited years, and for which I had worked 

 steadily for days at a time, I was not warranted in 

 giving this one up. The following morning was 

 spent in useless waiting, as also was the next. Then 

 followed another brief baiting period from the stakes, 

 and an early morning watch. It was nearly eight 

 o'clock and I was ready to give up, to try another 

 morning, when, as if from the sky, a beautiful red- 

 tailed hawk dropped gracefully upon the perch 

 arranged for him. He folded his wings, stood at his 

 full height with his neck outstretched, his head slightly 

 turned, and seemed to eye the bait suspiciously. 

 Quickly I opened and closed the shutter, the snap-, 

 shot was made, and a moment later he was sailing 

 over the tree tops, seemingly whistling back to me 

 "Kee-e-e." In due time the negative was developed, 

 and before it was dry it was named "Looking the 

 Situation Over." 

 In the days that followed two other negatives were 



