Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-02

BY CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS
TIP from the south and from the blue, palm fringed
] lagoons the giant white flock beating
wings that drove them through the heights of air
at something like mile and half minute. Over the
rank bright. mysterious sotudes and god-green reek
of the Everglades the shining wedge of their flight cleft
the air unswervingy. In the mighty throbbing rhythm
of that flight each vast white wing flashed momently
like against the intense blue, struck by the level
rays of a sun not yet an hour above the horizon.
In that high-voyaging flight went fifteen swans,
those huge white clarion voiced birds naptly known
as "whistling swans" They flew in strict array, with
usually four the shorter limb of the wedge and eleven
in the longer the wisest and most dominant of the
flock the undisputed leader flying at the apex. The
him suddenly, in the blue and gold of the Florida la
goons; and though he knew that spring still deep
wrapped in ice howled over by the Arctic Winds
he had fingered but day or two before following the
call. For day two the flock had been greatly
cited swimming this way and that, preening their
feathers nervousy and making the yellow shores reecho
with their harShly cries. 1t not easy
matter to tear themselves away from those milk warm,
teemng, green-azure tides; but length, in the cool
of the dawn flock of wild geese had gone unsteady
honking overhead bound for Hudson Bay.
This was just the spur that he was needing AS if he
had merely been waiting for these his forerunner to lead
the way he sprang into the air. with long trumpetng
call and mighty beating of wings The flock rose after
him, in snowy, tempestuous confusion of wings and
cries: With much jealous wranging the wedge formed
last having gained cloudy height, swept northward
on the trail of the geese.
Not far under five feet in length and with an enor
wing area, these whistlng the state
hest birds that the North American continent could
boast. The wilderness of their pumage radiantly flaw
less for spot of yellow each side of the face
off in formal fashion by jet black legs and bill Their
fuarched skulls betrayed high degree of intelligence,
and their wild eyes held sort Of aloof defiance,
Swerving rapidly inland, if to avoid the Atlantic
Coast, the swans swept toward the Mississippi Valley
From time to time, with tremendous splashingS and
noise of band of horns and bugles they would
down from their heights to rest and feed seeking always
for their halt the loneest of lakes marshy pools The
weight of their great frames, and the fierce energy
to feed we'll and often
From the altitude at which they journeyed the swans
looked down all other migrant hosts; with the
cepOn, perhaps, of the geese, who flew at about the
same level. Above Them in the intense blue, they
only maestically wheeling eagle and then, the
black, motonless wings of soaring vulture or
hgh-hawking falcon waiting to swoop upon her prey
But of none of these had the swans any fear. The
harmless black vultures would modest ktte And
neither the eagle the swift gerfacon, goShawk
most bloodthrsty of his would lightly risk buffet
that might hurl him Keeling to earth. The swans in
deed, gave small thought to any possible enemies in
their aerial path.
VET, but for their confidence in their power and
= courage, even the giant white might have
had msgivings the gOshawk gliding, beautiful
and sinister form, above the line of their flight Flying
they at rate of not much less than hundred
miles an hour, the measured beat of their wings was
visible manifestation of splendid and adequate effort
But the goshawk swiftly overlook them almost without
piniOns.
Directly above the leader his wings came to STOP