. Fowls of the air . listens, and drinks. A great moose wadesawkwardly out to plunge his head under andpull away at the lily roots. But the youngbrood mind not these harmless , indeed, as the afternoon wearsaway, they turn their little heads apprehen-sively as the alders crash and sway on thebank above; a low cluck from the motherbird sends them all off into the grass to quickly they have disappeared, leavingnever a trace! But it is only a bear comedown from the ridge where he has been sleeping, to find a dead fish for his supper; and the little brood seem to laugh as
. Fowls of the air . listens, and drinks. A great moose wadesawkwardly out to plunge his head under andpull away at the lily roots. But the youngbrood mind not these harmless , indeed, as the afternoon wearsaway, they turn their little heads apprehen-sively as the alders crash and sway on thebank above; a low cluck from the motherbird sends them all off into the grass to quickly they have disappeared, leavingnever a trace! But it is only a bear comedown from the ridge where he has been sleeping, to find a dead fish for his supper; and the little brood seem to laugh as another low cluck brings them scurrying back from their hiding. Once, perhaps, comes a real fright, Wf when all their summers practice is putto the test. An unusual noise is heard;and round the bend glides a bark canoe, ^ with sound of human voices. Awaygo the brood together, the river behind. them foaminsc like the wake of a tiny . . 20I steamer as the swift-moving feet lift themalmost out of water. Visions of ocean, ^S&j^*^the guns, falling birds and the hard winter ^^^^ ,,distract the poor mother. She flutterswildly about the brood, now leading, nowbravely facing the monster; now pushingalong some weak little loiterer, now floun-dering near the canoe, as if wounded, toattract attention from the young. But theydouble the point at last, and hide away underthe alders. The canoe glides by and makesno effort to find them. Silence is again overthe forest. The little brood come back to theshallows, with mother bird fluttering roundthem to count again and again, lest any bemissing. The kingfisher comes out of hishole in the bank. The river flows on asbefore, and peace returns; and over all is themystic charm of the wilderness and the quietof a summer day. This is the way it all looks and seems tome, sitting over under the big hemlock, outof sight, and watching the birds th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1901
