The Speckled Heifer's Calf 229 



of this little tragedy. A moment before the 

 whole thing had seemed an inscrutable 

 mystery, and here it was before our eyes as 

 plain as the page of a printed book. 



" You piece things together just like a 

 block puzzle," I said. " I never could have 

 made it out at all, but it comes to you just 

 like a story." 



" It all comes with time, Harry," replied 

 the old man. " Reading signs is a science, 

 just like astronomy, and has to be acquired. 

 We'll leave the calf just as he is, and to-mor- 

 row we will be around and have a wildcat 

 hunt." 



" How are you going to manage it, Ben? " 

 I asked, for it seemed to me like rather 

 dangerous business. To my fancy the tops 

 of all the trees in the pasture were already 

 swarming with bobcats, which might drop 

 down upon our heads at any moment. 



" Oh, I guess we will manage it all right," 

 Ben replied. " I will borrow a fox hound 

 and you can go along with a pail of salt. 

 When the dog gets the cat good and tired by 



