ereek channel over the “‘grizzly’’ with a mighty stream of 
water, consoled the new comers by pointing out a treasure 
under the only tip of green to be seen on the bedrock. How 
the bit of a willow shrub found food and space for its roots 
seemed a miracle; but in its shadow was a nest made of 
fine grass twigs, containing four lavender, brown and black- 
“spotted buffy eggs: which was seen, as the little mother 
slipped away. — 
_ She took Sdvantage of every ard piece of slate, that 
had probably been stood on edge millions of years ago, been 
~ covered later by earth and forests, and had now been 
washed clean by the force of the water that the miner was 
using; yet the women saw not the killdeer, but a Spotted — 
Sandpiper, as she tiptilted her way down to the edge of the 
stream. There she boldly picked her way along, unfurling 
her tail above her bronze back to show the black band 
tipped with white, or crawled on her spotted, white “tummy” _ 
to attract attention and coax her visitors away. She was in — 
such distress that they took but one glance at the four big 
eggs, which seemed too large to be hers. On later visits, 
they saw her long orange bill, the white line above her eye, 4 
and the white bar on each pointed wing, as she ventured 
back to the nest, when they hid behind the hill of boulders. 
Two weeks later, a child told that she had been shown 
the eggs and that evening in the early twilight, the friends 
went to see if all were well. The little mother called the 
usual ‘weet’ weet,’’ but teetered only a few steps and they 
soon saw why she was so brave. There, in the nest, 
sprawled beside three eggs, was a tiny, brown bird with no 
strength left, (after its struggle to get out of its own egg) 
to lift its downy head. Never was a baby more helpless and © 
appealing, and they hurried away, but the next sunset felt. 
that they must see if more birds were out. | 
Not a sound did the visitors hear as they approached 
the small willow, and no mother bird decoyed, as_ usual. 
Silent they stood beside the empty basket, thinking of the 
tragedy of another bird home. Just then, they heard the 
190 | | 
