WITH BEAK AND CLAW 5 



lives an' never learn to listen," he said. "Didn't 

 yo' hear the Kingfisher rattle f" 



**Uh-huh!" assented the boy. 



**Have yo' ever seen a Kingfisher make a fuss 

 over nothin"? He looks after his own business 

 well enough, but he 's always got an eye on what 's 

 goin' on aroun'. An' more, a couple o' Wrens, a 

 Vireo an' a Yellow Warbler flew across the road 

 a piece back, all goin' the same way. Somethin' 

 sure was movin' on a line with me. Right by this 

 bush I heard a buzzin' an' saw the wild bees hov- 

 erin', their heads all pointed inwards. It don't 

 take no great amount 0' guessin' to know some one 

 was hid there, an' that some one could only be the 

 boy who knew which way I was goin'. " 



This man really knew the woods. Shan felt 

 that, if his manner were not so offensive, he could 

 have admired him. 



**Now," he continued, ''I'm goin' on to the 

 Forks to see Bull Adam, since yo ' say he 's there. ' ' 



It was on the tip of Shan's tongue to admit that 

 his uncle was not at the Forks, but he had been 

 strictly cautioned never to give out any informa- 

 tion, and so he stood, sheepishly, rubbing one bare 

 foot on the other, as the stranger went down the 

 road. 



