The Witchery of Wa-Wa 3 



trick? Has the White Bear really gone north?" 

 ask the little people. 



" He has ! He has ! " shouts the prideful, loud- 

 voiced stream. " I have defeated him see me 

 hurl his broken bonds to crashing confusion ! " 



" Cheer-up cheer-up he's-away-in-defeat-in-de- 

 feat ! " chortles a fat robin. 



" Luck-y-thing luck-y-thing ! " adds a glistening 

 grackle, lightly clashing his cymbals. " He-e-e ? 

 Gone to sea ! " flutes a redwing. " May-bee may- 

 bee," mutters a flycatcher. " I-think-think-think-he- 

 has-gone-to-sea," trills a modest sparrow. 



" Wrong ! all-wrong ! Cranks ! all-wrong ! " 

 suddenly shouts a mighty voice ; and behold ! the 

 great gray goose, captain of all Northern raids 

 the war-worn Wa-Wa. Wizard of wastes of sea and 

 land, pioneer of prospecting poleward ; better than 

 all he knows the shift of season and the northward 

 mystery. His scoutings have extended to the last 

 wan berg, and his trumpet has thrilled the remotest 

 corner of the White Bear's den. Like most great 

 captains, he is curt, while loud of speech. 



" Tarry awhile," he says ; " if within two weeks I 

 come not back, then for-'ard all ! " Through his 

 brazen trumpet he blares a thrilling order, and 

 prompt and silent his gray-clad troop falls in. " En 

 avant ! " The clang of it stirs the blood of all, for 

 each has heard the tongue in old Quebec and in 

 the farther wastes, and the sound of it recalls the 

 joys of sweet new pasturage, of love-making, and 

 happy summer homes in Daylight Land. 



" En avant ! " Like the head of a mighty arrow 

 shot poleward, the drilled battalion hisses through 



