Snowy 



, , ice cake. " Now what is that fellow doing 

 there?" I thought. — "I know! He is try- 

 ^^: ing to drift down close to that flock of coots 

 before they see him." 



That was interesting; so I sat down on 

 a rock to watch. Whenever I took my eyes 

 from him a moment, it was difficult to find 

 him again, so perfectly did his plumage blend 

 with the white ice whereon he stood motion- 

 less. 



But he was not after the coots. I saw 

 him lean forward suddenly and plunge a foot 

 into the water. Then, when he hopped back 

 from the edge, and appeared to be eating 

 something, it dawned upon me that he was 

 fishing — and fishing like a true sportsman, 

 out on the ice alone, with only his own skill 

 to depend upon. In a few minutes he struck 

 again, and this time rose with a fine fish, 

 which he carried to the shore to devour at 

 leisure. 



For a long time that fish was to me the 

 most puzzling thing in the whole incident; 

 for at that season no large fish are to be 

 found, except in deep water off shore. Some 



