WOODLAND PATHS 



anger and distress, and then, before I 

 could reach the scene, silence. 



When I got there all I saw was two 

 crows slipping shamefacedly away behind 

 the tree tops. I thought it merely a lovers' 

 quarrel, but the next day I found beneath 

 the pines not far from the spot a handsome 

 young crow dandy, dead. It puzzled me 

 a bit. He bore no marks of shot, but seem- 

 ingly had died by violence. He was a 

 stout youngster and had been in the prime 

 of life and vigor. This morning, when all 

 the soft glamor of the spring seemed made 

 for lovers, and many of the birds were 

 very happy about it, I heard another crow 

 quarrel going on, and was mean enough 

 to spy on it. 



There was a lady, very demure, and 

 there were two lovers anything but de- 

 mure. Neither could get near enough to 



the lady to croak soft words of love in her 

 170 



