FOUR NOTABLES 211 
of stems) and made them in a nice even bunch, when 
something ahead sort of made me keep my eyes glued to 
it. It was under the slant of the lowest fence rail. I 
thought it was a striped snake curled up round, at first, 
because I felt eyes were looking at me, though it was 
too dark to see them, at first. Did you ever have that 
feeling, Gray Lady?” 
“Yes, I have had it, Dave, and I know what a strange 
sensation it is. The last time I had it I felt no better 
when I saw the eyes; in fact, little cold shivers went all 
over, for I was far away from here, and the eyes were 
those of a rattlesnake that was coiled up, amid the stones 
of a ledge, where I was gathering some rare wild flowers.”’ 
“Oh, what did youdo?” cried all the children, together. 
“TI backed away as fast as I could, keeping my eyes 
upon the snake, until I was at a safe distance, where he 
could not spring at me, and then I very foolishly ran! 
What did you do, Dave?” 
“T crept up nearer until I got a good look, and then I 
saw that it was a bird. It was sitting ever so still, with 
its head well down on its shoulders and its long beak 
close to its breast. It had queer, big eyes set up on top 
of its head, and round like a frog’s, not like any other 
bird that I know of.” 
“The eyes of the Woodcock and its cousins, the Snipe, 
are set in this way, so that, when they are boring in the 
mud for food, they can keep watch behind them as well 
as in front,” said Gray Lady. 
“First, I thought the bird was dead, it kept so still,’ 
continued Dave, “but I could see its breast raised a little 
with its breathing.” 
