DAWS IN THE WEST COUNTRY 69 



regularly, but they were all there before I came. 

 Yet it was not an absolutely safe place for them, 

 being much infested by cats, especially by a big 

 black one who was always on the prowl, and who 

 had a peculiarly murderous gleam in his luminous 

 yellow, orbs when he crouched down to watch or 

 attempted to stalk them. One could not but 

 imagine that the very sight of such eyes in that 

 black, devilish face would have been enough to 

 freeze their blood with sudden terror, and make 

 them powerless to fly from him. But it was not 

 so : he could neither fascinate nor take them by 

 surprise. No sooner would he begin to practise 

 his wiles than all the population would be up in 

 arms — the loud, sharp summons of the blackbird 

 sounding first ; then the starlings would chatter 

 angrily, the thrush scream, the chaffinches begin 

 to fink-'piiik with all their might, and the others 

 would join in, even the small hideling wrens coming 

 out of their fortress of faggots to take part in the 

 demonstration. Then puss would give it up and 

 go away, or coil himself up and go to sleep on the 

 sloping roof of the tiny shed or in some other sheltered 

 spot ; peace and quiet would once more settle on 

 the Httle republic, and the birds would be content 

 to dwell with their enemy in theu' midst in full sight 



