244 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



of all men to speak of such a matter sent me 

 word that it was the best description of the 

 performance that he had ever seen. If any 

 of my readers desire to see it, it is to be 

 found in a little volume of most delightful 

 outdoor essays entitled " The Listener in the 

 Country." 



All this I lived over again last evening as 

 I went, alone, to the same spot not having 

 visited it on this errand for several years 

 to see whether the bird would still be true 

 to his old tryst. I believed that he would 

 be, in spite of the skepticism of a wide-awake 

 man who lives almost within stone's throw 

 of the place ; for though woodcock are said 

 to be growing less and less common, I have 

 strong faith in the conservative disposition of 

 all such creatures. Once they have a place 

 to their mind, they are likely to hold it. 



Fox sparrows were singing in their best 

 manner as I passed on my way, and I would 

 gladly have stayed to listen ; their season, 

 also, is a short one ; but I kept to my point. 



And after all, I arrived a few minutes 

 ahead of time. Up and down the road I 

 paced (no one in sight, nor any danger of 



