As soon as the sun had gone down Auk’s enemies gathered on the shore just below the long sand-bar. About dark Sandpiper at the suggestion of Night-Heron, stole quietly along the shore to learn if Auk was asleep. It took him but a few minutes to reach the spot where the great bulky fellow rested while sitting bolt upright. So excited was Sandpiper that his heart beat wildly, and he had hardly gotten half way back when he called out to his friends, “Asleep! Asleep!”
Now Auk, even when in a sound slumber, always kept his ears wide open. That’s how he happened to hear Sandpiper’s piping voice telling the other birds that he was asleep. At first he thought he had been dreaming, but when he saw the dark forms down on the sand-bar he realized the truth and knew that he was in peril.
Greatly frightened, Auk hurried to the water, as was his habit in all danger. It was well he did, for, in the next instant. Blue Heron, Tern, and a host of others came flying swiftly toward him. In another moment Auk dived headlong into the sea and swam rapidly away, while his enemies stood on the shore crying out in their disappointment.
Years passed and Auk was forgotten. Everyone supposed that he had long ago fallen prey to some enemy. Then, one night, Birdland was astonished. Night-Heron had been to the far north for some time past. Suddenly he came bursting in upon them. His eyes were wide open with wonder. All he could say was the word “Quok! Quok!” which everyone knew was his way of saying “Auk,” Night-Heron being slightly tongue-tied. After he had gotten over his excitement the birds learned of his trip to Granite Island. Whom do you suppose he found there? It was no less a person than Auk.
At first folks thought Night-Heron’s mind had been wandering. But when he became calmer, and related his discovery, they could no longer refuse to believe him. All the old anger of the fishing birds seemed to arouse itself again. For years and years they had thought Auk was dead, and now they learned that he was still living and probably laughing at their stupidity.
Quickly gathering together, they started north. This time he would not escape them. It took many days of tiresome flight, but at last they could see Granite Island in the dim distance ahead of them. As they drew near, their anger increased and their cries cut the air. Just try to imagine their feelings then, when, upon nearer approach, they found that Auk was not there.
The truth was that Black-head had flown ahead of the party and warned Auk of his danger. Now he was circling high in air, and every now and then he would break out in laughter: “Gone! Ha! ha! ha! Gone! Ha! ha! ha!”
But this defeat only hardened the purpose of the fishing birds. They still continue to hunt for Auk. Watch any of them if you will while on the sea-shore. See how tirelessly Tern is searching as he skims over wave after wave. Will he ever find Auk? At any rate, he will not give up. But then, when we think of the broad expanse of the Great North Ocean, and its many rocky islands, we cannot but feel that Auk is pretty safe after all. He has found a good hiding-place somewhere.
You who have been believing that Auk has been extinct for half a century, now know that it is not so. But where is he? There is only one whom you can ask: that is Black-head. He will tell you nothing. Try it and see. His only reply is a laugh: “Gone! Ha! ha! ha! Gone! Ha! ha! ha!”