. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . in whichthe genial old Conch rammed his craft through all sortsof intricate channels, hitting bottom now and then, yet some-how getting through, until, when within five miles of KeyWest, at nine oclock, we jDlunged on to a shoal between twokeys, and stuck hard and fast. I passed a rather chilly night,in mackintosh and rubber boots — head under the cuddy andlegs out in the wet. Early in the morning the rising tidecleared us, and by six A. M. we were at the wharf in KeyWest, just in time to
. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . in whichthe genial old Conch rammed his craft through all sortsof intricate channels, hitting bottom now and then, yet some-how getting through, until, when within five miles of KeyWest, at nine oclock, we jDlunged on to a shoal between twokeys, and stuck hard and fast. I passed a rather chilly night,in mackintosh and rubber boots — head under the cuddy andlegs out in the wet. Early in the morning the rising tidecleared us, and by six A. M. we were at the wharf in KeyWest, just in time to meet one of my former guides, Mr,Burton, and secure passage upon the government tug whichwas about to start for the station at the Dry Tortugas. The ON LONELY BIRD KEY 85 guide had received an appointment as game-warden, tocamp alone on Bird Key and protect the feathered multi-tudes through their nesting-season, now beginning. It was an elegant bright day, with the usual fresh north-east trade-wind. We reached the fort early in the afternoon,whence, through the kindness of the keeper of the light-. SOOTY TERNS. ALONE AMONG THE BIRDS house on Loggerhead Key, we secured passage to Bird Key,only a mile awav, in a small sail-boat, with our skiff in left us, bag and baggage, upon a dilapidated little pier,alone among the birds. As we had approached the islet,the chorus of shrill cries had grown louder and louder, andthe fluttering of wings more and more apparent. Now birdswere rising into the air in countless swarms, with outcriesthat were almost overpowering in their shrillness and had fairly to shriek at one another to be heard at all. Itwas Tuesday, and until the next trip of the tug, on Saturday 86 WILD WINGS morning, I was to enjoy and make the most of this remark-able spot. The first thing to do was to get settled in our strangequarters, which were in rather uncanny surroundings. BirdKey has something of a history. Many years ago Audubonlanded here and stud
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjobh, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds
