This lonely spot had always suited the King Loon so well that, no matter how far off he had wintered, he invariably made for Black Lake during nesting time. Mahug, like all his tribe, was a mighty5 diver and, for water-fowl, he had very fashionable habits, spending a portion of each year near the salt sea, usually camping upon some desolate island, fishing, swimming, and diving with thousands of other water-fowl, yet never mingling6 at all familiarly with them, or encouraging acquaintances in a sociable7 way, because the loon is a very solitary8 bird. So, when nesting time came, Mahug always went off as far away from the crowd as he possibly could go. Quite frequently he and his mate would fly thousands of miles in order to be exclusive and alone. The old loon was a large, imposing9 bird, his wing and back feathers of a glossy10, metallic11 black, while his beautiful breast was dazzling, pearly white, the feathers very soft and thick. When Mahug stood erect12, at first sight, he appeared to be wearing a dark coat thrown back from a pearl-white waistcoat. His head was beautifully marked, the top of fine, iridescent13 feathers, the neck ringed about with green and bronze. On the wing, you never would have suspected how very awkward Mahug could be upon his feet. On land he just waddled14 about in the most ungainly fashion, choosing to fly, usually, rather than walk, because his clumsy webbed feet were not intended for tramping. They were set so far back upon his body that they were of small use to him excepting when he used them for paddles in the water.
Mahug was in his element in water or upon the wing. And my, how the old King could dive! In fact, the loon family are all noted15 divers16, for they not only dive deeper than other birds, but they can also stay under water a long time. So quickly could old Mahug dive, that several times in his life when a hunter had fired at him, even before the bullet touched water, the old King Loon was already deep down in the depths of the lake among the snake-like lily roots, safe.
This June when Mahug and his mate reached the shores of Black Lake, he sent his great cry of triumph abroad, for he was glad to be there. Then he and his mate nested low among the sedges and rested for the night, but the very next morning, even before the fog lifted from the lake, both set about their nest building. Right upon the ground they built it, and not very carefully, I am afraid, their main idea being to conceal17 it cleverly behind a thick curtain of reeds and matted water-weeds, but not so very far from the water. In due time three baby loons pipped their dark green shells, and queer looking little specimens18 of birds they were—bare, homely19 and always hungry.
Although it appeared desolate and lonely enough, still, if one but knew, back in the thick undergrowth about the lake, hidden by thick jungles of blackberry vines and dark spruces, there were many secret coverts20 and dens21 where the wild of the forest made their homes. The lake itself was almost completely surrounded by treacherous22, oozy23 bogs24 and morasses25, so that it was seldom visited by man. For this very reason the wild things felt safe, and the old King Loon had especially selected the spot, for the loon is the wildest of all wild water-fowl.
Few of the other birds cared to meet the loon in battle, because of the mighty strength of his great wings, which could soon beat out the life of anything upon which they descended26, while his heavy coat of feathers protected their wearer well. So when the loon sent its uncanny scream across the lake, more than one timid, wild thing cowered27 close to the ground and shook with sudden fear.
DOWN LIKE AN AVALANCHE HE CAME,
SNATCHING THE MINK IN HIS BEAK.
As soon as the young loons could tumble over the edge of their comfortless nest among the sedges, they made for the near-by water, and speedily began to imitate their elders, diving far down among the matted water-weeds and chasing minnows and little chunky perch31, which they would gobble at one mouthful. At first Mahug and his mate watched the young loons, taking pains to give them diving lessons, and then encouraging them to take short flights, as soon as their wing feathers sprouted32. Gradually the old birds left them more to themselves. So it happened one day that one of the young loons waddled forth33 from the nest and began to follow in the wake of a heron who was leisurely34 fishing alongshore. The loon mounted upon a large round stone, as he supposed; he did not notice that the stone moved a trifle. It did, and that which the young loon took for a mud-caked stone, was nothing less than a very old, giant snapping turtle, which lay there sunning himself. So old was this particular turtle that his flippers were covered with large scales and his shell looked to be fairly moss-covered. Over the top of the shell waddled the young loon, while the old turtle, without moving its ugly, snake-like head, watched with its hateful beady eyes every movement of the loon. It climbed over the top of the shell and when it came within reach of the turtle's long neck, like a flash it was snapped up by the old fellow. The heron gave a loud "kreay, kreay" of alarm, but no one heard him, so when the old loons got back to the nest one of the baby loons was missing. They flew out over the water, searching, screaming loudly, calling in and out among the sedges and tussocks, but of course the young loon never answered their wild calls.
Mahug strongly suspected someone of the muskrat35 family, so he began watching a colony of them which had pitched their huts alongshore. Even at night, especially if it was moonlight, the old King Loon would skim low over the water, uttering scream after scream as he followed the trails of the muskrats36 swimming about the lake. If Mahug had caught one of them he would have made short work of it, so furious was he. But somehow the muskrats always escaped, for they kept sentinels upon duty, who always slapped their tails upon the water, at which signal the muskrats always vanished.
Almost before Mahug had forgotten about the disappearance37 of the first small loon, another one disappeared. This time Mahug was quite certain that the old bald-headed eagle, which lived far above upon a cliff the other side of the lake, had gone off with it. Now there were several young eaglets up there on the cliff and the old birds foraged38 for them all day long. They took anything they could find upon the shore, especially if it were young, tender and unprotected. Mahug and the old eagle crossed each other in the air and they had one terrible battle together, but the eagle proved to be more than a match for the loon. The King of the Air had sharp talons39 and a razor-like beak which tore through the heavy feathers of the loon and bit into his flesh sharply, so at length he had to settle down among the sedges and own himself beaten for once.
The summer moon, round and yellow, came peeping over the tops of the tallest spruces upon the summit of Mount Cushman and lighted a broad path right across Black Lake. Out in the centre of the lake the horn-pouts and pickerel were leaping, and over in the shadows on the far shore Mahug, the old loon, screamed and suddenly dived for a fish in the moonlight. All manner of wild things of fur and feathers were stirring. The muskrats were playing, squeaking40 merrily and chasing each other in and out of their huts and leaving long silvery trails behind them as they swam about. Back in the thickets41 of rushes dozed42 one lonely little loon, last of the brood of Mahug. Too young to venture forth upon a moonlight fishing trip, it cuddled down flat, its webbed feet beneath its scantily43 feathered body, uttering a plaintive44 little sound whenever it heard the old loons screaming out on the lake.
Because of these little lonely cries, the dark, fur-clad stranger who had been feeling its way alongshore, in and out among the tall reeds, paused, erecting45 its small ears, trying to locate the whereabouts of the sound. Long and lithe46 of body was the stranger, a full-grown mink. Its dark fur coat mingled47 well with the shadows, but when a streak48 of moonlight touched its breast, its pure white breast-plate of fur shone dazzlingly white. The mink's legs were short, so it crouched49 low along the ground as it crept nearer and nearer the lonely nest among the reeds.
The next instant it poked50 its hateful snout through an opening and saw the loon. Already its fetid breath reached the little loon, which gave a startled, whimpering call out into the night. The call had been heard just in time. Like a great black shadow something flew across the strip of moonlight, and with a wild whirl of giant wings the old King Loon charged for the nest. Instantly his fierce eyes sighted the sneaking51 mink, then down like a perfect avalanche he came, snatching the surprised mink in his beak and soaring out over the water. Somehow the mink managed to free its neck and its sharp teeth met in the pearly breast feathers of the old loon. For a second it seemed as though Mahug would loosen his hold upon the mink, but, instead, uttering a terrific scream of rage and vengeance52, which fairly awoke the echoes alongshore, the great bird plunged53 straight into the water and dived and dived; far down into the muddy depths he sank, never loosing his terrible hold upon the mink. Now the mink is quite as much at home in the water as a muskrat. But never had the old King Loon stayed under water so long before. In vain his mate screamed for him alongshore, but only the whip-poor-wills answered her call. At last, when she had almost given him up, from out the centre of the lake arose old Mahug, amid a perfect shower of whirling spray, and he was alone. He had been able to stay under water longer than the mink.
Mahug joined his mate, and then, as it was late and the moon was very low, the two great birds gave up their fishing and went back to their nest in the reeds. There in the darkness, with no light but the little flitting fireflies twinkling in and out among the sedges, while the whip-poor-wills sang a lullaby, they guarded their one nestling through the night. And when the time came to leave Black Lake, three loons flew away together.
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1
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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4
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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5
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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7
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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8
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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9
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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10
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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11
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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12
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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13
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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14
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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16
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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17
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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18
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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19
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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20
coverts
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| n.隐蔽的，不公开的，秘密的( covert的名词复数 )；复羽 | |
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21
dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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22
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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23
oozy
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| adj.软泥的 | |
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24
bogs
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| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
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25
morasses
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| n.缠作一团( morass的名词复数 )；困境；沼泽；陷阱 | |
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26
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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27
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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28
avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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29
mink
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| n.貂，貂皮 | |
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30
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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31
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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32
sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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33
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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34
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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35
muskrat
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| n.麝香鼠 | |
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36
muskrats
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| n.麝鼠（产于北美，毛皮珍贵）( muskrat的名词复数 ) | |
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37
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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38
foraged
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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39
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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40
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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41
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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42
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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44
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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45
erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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46
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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47
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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48
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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49
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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51
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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52
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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53
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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