Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01
A WALK IN AUTUMN
Watching the Signs Of an
Early Season.
WINTER PREPARATIONS
BOTH PEOPLE AND ANIMALS GET
TING READY FOR COLD.
Beautiful Sights for Those Who Have
Eyes to Selfish
Streams.
WINTER PREPARATIONS

Written for The Evening Star.
Up here in New Hampshire the autumn
sets in early, and by the last of September
there are hundred reminders of the COM
ing winter. and the people take the hints
and busy themselves in reshingling their
houses, repairing their barns and in laying
in little mountains of wood to keep the
houses habitable during the long and often
bitter winter. Bits of bright-colored au-
tumn foliage are seen even in August, and
the goldenrod is practically a thing of the
past some time before it has reached its
BEST say in New York.
Yesterday went out for a walk. 1t was
a typical autumn morning, bright and
frosty, with wet grass and an odor of ripe
apples in the air AS 1 struck out through
the fields the work of the frost was visible
everywhere. Most of the ferns were black
and shriveled, much of the grass was
brown and the wild flowers for the most
part had gone to seed. Where in August
there had been seas of glorious goldenrod
the fields were gray with the s9edy tops;
goldfinches were scattering clouds OF thistle
silk, but round about the forests burned
with the autumn hues.
Banks of the Brook.
Soon 1 came to a brook, running through
a meadow and l walked along its bank
toward the hills in which it rises. The
water was so clear that even in the deep
est parts, one might distinguish the separ-
ate grains of sand upon the bottom. In
some places there were tiny waterfalls
down which the water splashes seemingly
with more than the necessary amount Of
noise; in others there were beds of SHIN
ing and bright-coiored pebbles where the
water was churned to milky wilderness, to
become clear again a minute later as it
poured silently into some deep sun-lighted
pool, where SpeCkled trout could be seen
darting from bank to bank, or lying among
the pebbles at the bottom, with their fins
slowly tanning the water. AS l neared one
of these pools a great blue heron rose
slowly into the air and winged his way
toward the forest. 1t was not difficult to
guess what he had been after, even If
had not seen little shoal of pc: haps thirty
trout swimming across the sun-lighted bed
of the stream. Most of these trout were
small only three of four over six inches
in length, and they seemed to have little
fear of me. They did not seem to mind
me as l moved quietly about, though they
seemed somewhat nervous if | made par
ticularly violent movement If however.
allowed the shadow Of my hand or arm
to fall upon them, they darted away like
speckled lightning, and did not return I:r
minutes.
Among the Flowers.
In places along the banks blue gentian
was growing, and here and there an aster
was reflected on the stream. Now and then
ir some sheltered spot a spray of goldenrod
was to be seen and pearly everlasting Sill
held its own in the fields round about
Still following the brook. l presently en-
tered the forest. and here could be hear1
the faint sound of cascade far up among
the hills. The ground became much
rOuRher- n 10
way around boulders and over fallen trees
II order to follow the wndings of thc
brook. Every now and then a rutfied
grouse. and sometimes two or three of them
IN rapid succession, would start up before
me without previous warning, and fly WIN
ring away through the tree trunks; itese
birds would probably be much more num-
erous than they are if it were not for the
foxes which everywhere abound and which
are not only quick enough to catch young
grouse, but crafty enough to outwit the olu
ones.
A Pretty Sight.
When at length I reached the waterfall
l saw wonderfully beautiful sight The
brook at this point ran through the bottom
OF a little gorge, whose rocky sides were
overhung with trees and wild creepers all
in gorgeous autumn colofs, and at the enc
was the falling water. Twenty feet above
me, and through a deep cleft in the stone
the brook leaped clear in graceful arch
to pool at the bottom of the gorge where
the water boiled and seethed and finall,
He'd away past my feet, chattering through
the pepbly rapids to quieter spots below
ana IN the sunlight which streamed dowr
the gorge stood group of white-taflef
deef. their brown winter coats g!isten;n ne
with the fine spray from the fall One wa
large and handsome buck, with eight
points on each of his new and weIl-srowr
antlers; two were spike bucks. and one wa.
a faWn, who had already lost his whit.
spots, and whose embryo antlers could hf
seen as two bumps, one above either eve
Inc. ne SOUND or the falling water prevented
them from hearing my foots:eps and IN,
"lno was in the wrong direction for then
TO get my scent. So | hid and watcba(
theH as they moved about perfectly nm
conscious ~
Walking at Will.
Ihey did not move in body, but each o.,
a' VIII, hlpphng the grass and flowers which
grew at the sides of the gorge near the fall
AS they walked, their legs seemed yer,
stralght and stiff, and to one who hat
never seen these creatures in rapid motto
II would scarcely seem possible that the,
were capable of the most wonderful aeiIitv
soon they decided to cross the stream an,
as tney came down to it they were obIiga,
" steP from one ledge of rock to a lowe
one Here, for the first time | learne,
that these animals can voluntarily NOV
their toes, for as they lifted their front leg
forward TO step down they spread thei
toes TO their widest while their hoofs wer
still at distance from the ground Thel
they walked quietly through the rough blu
shallow water, and along the opposite sid
OF the brook. until they. were behind me
scarcely had they passed when the bi,
buck, who was leading, stopped, turned hi
head and shifted the air. He had got m,
wind, and, with warning snort, he dashe;
away down the gorge, taking the boulder
In his stride, and, followed by the rest o
his little band passed from view among tn
trees, leaving me to marvel at that wonder
full piece of animal mechanism which ha
been labeled deer
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.