SPRING DAWN 



ears with one snap. He heard the crisp 

 of my footfall on the frozen grass of the 

 field and immediately there was a great 

 flapping in the marked pine tree and he 

 was off over the tops of its neighbors to 

 a safe place an eighth of a mile away. 

 He said three things, and so plain were 

 they that any listener could have under- 

 stood them. Languages vary, but emo- 

 tions and the inflections they cause are 

 the same in all creatures. The veriest 

 tyro in wood-lore could have understood 

 that crow. 



His first ejaculation was plainly sur- 

 prise and query blended. In his sleep he 

 had heard a noise. He thought it, very 

 likely, a fellow calling to him to get up 

 and start the day's work. Then when the 

 answer w r as a man's footfall he flew to 

 safety, sounding the short, nervous yelp 



which is always the danger signal. Then 

 27 



