paraSfse Circle 



of a place too boggy for my weight gave me 

 some trouble before I would acknowledge 

 its inaccessibility. I had lost an arrow by 

 shooting at the limpkin, and as but four 

 remained in my quiver, I did not purpose 

 to risk another foolishly or carelessly. The 

 rail seemed to understand my predicament. 

 It walked boldly forth from cover and 

 shook its short tail at me, as if to suggest 

 what a fine target I was deprived of by 

 circumstances over which I had no control ; 

 nor did it skulk, after its usual fashion, or 

 fly, when I tried to drive it out of its 

 queachy territory ; but there it stood, dod- 

 dling its head, one foot gripping a stiff 

 straw of water-grass, the other spread upon 

 a spatter-dock leaf. 



Of course, it was a small matter, at which 

 one may look back indifferently ; but just 

 then it seemed to me the most vexatious 

 thing imaginable that a rail, sleek, sheeny, 

 fat, should stand before me, not twenty 

 yards distant, and fairly nag at my bow, 

 while I capered impotently around the 

 margin of that bottomless loblolly! A 

 sharp, rattling cry, not in the least timidly 

 47 



