“Maybe he’d never caught a salt-water eel before, and didn’t know how lively they are; you can’t measure them by mud eels out of still water any more’n you can match snakes with ground-worms.”

THE KINGFISHER

He laughs by the summer stream

Where the lilies nod and dream,

As through the sheen of water cool and clear

He sees the chub and sunfish cutting shear.

His are resplendent eyes;

His mien is kingliwise;

And down the March wind rides he like a king

With more than royal purple on his wing.