Signs of Rain. 165 



against another — a souu.d ttat don't seem exactly to 



be a sound either — a sound that we seem to hear but 



can't describe ; you can't tell what way it comes from, 



whether from the right hand or left, that seems to be 



far ofl^ and yet you can't say it isn't close by ; yet it's 



in the forest, all around you. Well, that mysterious 



voice says, ^ it will rain.' Look at that brood of young 

 ducks, scampering about, dipping their heads under 



the water, and lettin' it run down their backs — see the 

 old one, how often she sits up on eend, and flaps her 

 jvings, as if about flyin' away — those ducks are sayin', 

 plain as day, 'it will rain.' Look at that baswood 

 tree on the point before you — see how fan-like it lifts 

 its leaves, turnin' their under side to the sun, makin' 

 the tree-top shine all over like silver ; that tree is 

 tellin' us ' it will rain.' Even Shack, there, in the 

 bow of the canoe, by his uneasy motions, curling him- 

 eelf up in a heap at the bottom, and then as soon as 

 he's fairly settled, gettin' onto his feet again, and 

 nosin' out over the water, he says ' it'll rain.' 



" Now, Squire, it's by observin' and puttin' things 

 together that a woodman comes to understand such 

 matters. I don't consider such knowledge any great 

 thirds, but h sho-vs that all the larnin' in the world 



