Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-06

frcshet The swamp area. 80 moe,
IA" river and III" water rrnpt IA, nm
I'll tn. ditch and river w"r. ra..iuu
torrents while all IN. low country
was under water. For ,hr-. dsys sh,
worried for fear III" kingnsher hnhns
would grow stronn enough I" ny
away. On In" fourth the rain
stopped. Mrs. rort"r ana her ,iaurh
ter. "MoliN-tnttou. y"ntur.I fnr;h
with the carriage. the cameras and
'Pa'l"nc". tn" hore" E"ilnwInr "a
snort route through i iau" th-,
splashed through several Inches .,f
water until they reached the I.inh.r-
lost hridR. ThS water OF IN. bix
Glitch which IL saann"d was running
IKE a mill rae" over the fields coy
"-inY tn. t"nces aud sweeping along
Hoai!nG logs and debris Having
driven ru to the bride" they dared
not go on. they unhitch-d the horse
tea him To the hrid." AMI hacked
The carriage on into TN" road. but 1t
:an down An ciha nkment into ihe
water which Allied the bed AMI
reached IN. hest camera. They cor
rallied some noatinR rails laid them
out tn III" running gear walked
along them aud set the "a in.ta on
The seat then brought the horse and.
with Patience's help. drew tn" ear
sul'ati"n tn" two pr"sprc,"rs decided
:" driv. over =" the lrvee. At the
edge "f tn" meadow the water was
foot deep. hut "Moiiy-Cotton" nut
on the waders. took water tripod
and started across.
Sh" wore naming red waist. In
'ha middle -. thu pool n COW Was
attracted hN the patch Of color and
started ." Investigate. ''Mol,y-C"t-
ton" could not run on IN. sorgy
around with the heavy boots. but she
h"a, the COW t" the gate and climbed
int" IN" carriage. Perhaps Patience
would have better lurn. Tn" I'M
daunt"d adv"n;urers drove int" the
h.id bu, soon the carriage was iont-
iry and Patience swimming from
ridge L" ridge IL" finally hnlkeh ~
tn" S,iT current and lna ing logs. :"
they mad" a prccariuus return across
he meadow. Tn. last resort was :"
drive south on tn. road ana a?-
proa"h the quarry from tn" ""rh
field Tn. water was not over tw"
Feet deep and the crossings sue
cess In the mes, wer" tho King
Ash.r brood. grown fully fourth
larger and handsnmcr with their blue
rests and white handed wings
These would PROBABLY l." tn. last pie
lures OF the little family. go they
wcr" photographed With extra care.
C",~trd Picture snapped
Rur the end was not yet, NV.
DAYS later Mrs. Porter passed the
quarry and saw the youngsters in
she doorway. half lifting their wing.
and meditating their hrst night. That
was her picture. Fifty pictures o.
them made when taken from their
nest were not worth that one. Cow
"rinr IN. opening with sod I" keep
the birds from escaping. 81" caicu-
lated where her camera must stand
Ia catch the light The spo, WAS
naturally In the middl. ~ the frog
pond. y Foundation must be built az
stumpS aud r"t;.ng logs borrowed
from - - Ia make q solid plat
form. Du his was set step-lndder
with the camera on top focused on
the nests mouth. While removing
the sod Mrs. Porter broke int" a col
only g. digger waspS that stunR her
unm-rcifully After plasiering her
neck with wet clay she Law down on
the -n,hankmnnt her fingers on the
bulb al tn. end OF the siSty-foot hose,
and waited. Like mustard plaster
the sun poured down on her arms
and shoulders that were burned into
water hiisiers through her thin dress
Two hours and "A half she ws@ed.
At ias, when she was almost unron-
<rinus from the pain Of the stinGs.
intensified by the st"amine heat. the
Young birds venturcd out and the
coveted picture was snapped.
Those pictures of the elusive king
fishers. the ancient birds Of mystery
and tradition. we're among the most
costly Mrs. Porter has ever taken.