The next instant it poked its hateful snout through an opening and saw the loon. Already its fetid breath reached the little loon, which gave a startled, whimpering call out into the night. The call had been heard just in time. Like a great black shadow something flew across the strip of moonlight, and with a wild whirl of giant wings the old King Loon charged for the nest. Instantly his fierce eyes sighted the sneaking mink, then down like a perfect avalanche he came, snatching the surprised mink in his beak and soaring out over the water. Somehow the mink managed to free its neck and its sharp teeth met in the pearly breast feathers of the old loon. For a second it seemed as though Mahug would loosen his hold upon the mink, but, instead, uttering a terrific scream of rage and vengeance, which fairly awoke the echoes alongshore, the great bird plunged straight into the water and dived and dived; far down into the muddy depths he sank, never loosing his terrible hold upon the mink. Now the mink is quite as much at home in the water as a muskrat. But never had the old King Loon stayed under water so long before. In vain his mate screamed for him alongshore, but only the whip-poor-wills answered her call. At last, when she had almost given him up, from out the centre of the lake arose old Mahug, amid a perfect shower of whirling spray, and he was _alone_. He had been able to stay under water longer than the mink. Mahug joined his mate, and then, as it was late and the moon was very low, the two great birds gave up their fishing and went back to their nest in the reeds. There in the darkness, with no light but the little flitting fireflies twinkling in and out among the sedges, while the whip-poor-wills sang a lullaby, they guarded their one nestling through the night. And when the time came to leave Black Lake, _three_ loons flew away together. CHAPTER VIII FIERCE STAR NOSE, THE BURROWER Star Nose, the mole, loved best of all very dark places. In fact he spent most of his life underground, so that whenever he did venture abroad into strong sunlight, the glare would nearly blind his tiny, almost concealed eyes. It was on this very account, more than any other, that he preferred to come forth from his underground home about twilight. Now if you chanced to come across Star Nose above ground, at first sight you might judge him to be a very slow-moving, dull-witted creature. In reality he was just about the most fierce, blood-thirsty little fellow on earth or under it. For, if Star Nose had actually been about the size of a lion, instead of a tiny mole, he might readily, with one grasp of teeth or claws, so it is said, tear a great ox asunder. So it was just as well for everybody that he was a mere mole.