nt of fish near the surface, when the
cry came, and they darted away for the nest. Pushing out into the lake,
I saw them sweeping above the tree-tops in swift circles, uttering
short, sharp cries of anger. Presently they began to swoop fiercely at
some animal--a fisher, probably--that was climbing the tree below. I
stole up to see what it was; but ere I reached the place they had driven
the intruder away. I heard one of the jays far off in the woods,
following the robber and screaming to let the fishhawks know just where
he was. The other jay sat close by her own little ones, cowering under
the shadow of the great dark wings above. And presently Deedeeaskh came
back, bubbling over with the excitement, whistling to them in his own
way that he had followed the rascal clear to his den, and would keep a
sharp watch over him in future.

When a big hawk came near, or when, on dark afternoons, a young owl took
to hunting in the neighborhood, the jays sounded the alarm, and the
fishhawks swept up from the lake on the instant. Whether Deedeeaskh were
more concerned for his own young than for the young fishhawks I have no
means of knowing. The fishermen's actions at such times showed a
curious mixture of fear and defiance. The mother would sit on the nest
while Ismaques circled over it, both birds uttering a shrill, whistling
challenge. But they never attacked the feathered robbers, as they had
done with the fisher, and, so far as I could see, there was no need.
Kookooskoos the owl and Hawahak the hawk might be very hungry; but the
sight of those great wings circling over the nest and the shrill cry of
defiance in their ears sent them hurriedly away to other hunting
grounds.

There was only one enemy that ever seriously troubled the fishhawks; and
he did it in as decent a sort of way as was possible under the
circumstances. That was Cheplahgan the eagle. When he was hungry and had
found nothing himself, and his two eaglets, far away in their nest on
the mountain, needed a bite of fish to vary their diet, he would set his
wings to the breeze and mount up till he could see both ospreys at their
fishing. There, sailing in slow circles, he would watch for hours till
he saw Ismaques catch a big fish, when he would drop like a bolt and
hold him up at the point of his talons, like any other highwayman. It
was of no use trying to escape. Sometimes Ismaques would attempt it, but
the great dark wings would whirl around him and strike down