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Jfuktaeem 

 Voice- 



the grassy shores of a wild lake when a 

 mother loon appeared suddenly, out in the 

 middle, with a great splashing and crying. 

 I paddled out to see what was the matter. 

 She withdrew with a great effort, apparently, 

 as I approached, still crying loudly and beat- 

 ing the water with her wings. " Oho," I 

 said, " you have a nest in there somewhere, 

 and now you are trying to get me away from 

 it." This was the only time I have ever 

 known a loon to try that old mother bird's 

 trick. Generally they slip off the nest while 

 the canoe is yet half a mile away, and swim 

 under water a long distance, and watch you 

 silently from the other side of the lake. 



I went back and hunted awhile for the 

 nest among the bogs of a little bay ; then left 

 the search to investigate a strange call that 

 sounded continuously farther up the shore. 

 It came from some hidden spot in the tall 

 grass, an eager little whistling cry, reminding 

 me somehow of a nest of young fish-hawks. 



As I waded cautiously among the bogs, 

 trying to locate the sound, I came suddenly 

 upon the loon's nest — just the bare top of a 



