his neck high to listen. One mother bird 

 saw me, though I could not tell which one it 

 was until she slipped down from her bog and 

 waddled bravely across in my direction. Then 

 a curious thing happened, which I have often 

 seen and wondered at among gregarious birds 

 and animals. A signal was given, but with- 

 out any sound that my ears could detect 

 in the intense twilight stillness. It was as if 

 a sudden impulse had been sent out like an 

 electric shock to every bird in the large flock. 

 At the same instant every duck crouched 

 and sprang ; the wings struck down sharply ; 

 the flock rose together as if flung up from 

 a pigeon trap, and disappeared with a rush 

 of wings and a hoarse tumult of quacking 

 that told every creature on the great marsh 

 that danger was afoot. Wings flapped loudly 

 here and there ; bitterns squawked ; herons 

 croaked; a spike buck whistled and jumped 

 close at hand; a passing musquash went 

 down with a slap of his tail and a plunge 

 like a falling rock. Then silence settled over 

 the marsh again, and there was not a sound 

 to tell what Wood Folk were ^g- , 



