70 NORTH CAROLINA 



For the day it kept its place unquestioned. 

 Then, long before I reached Massachusetts, 

 I punctuated the entry with a question mark. 

 The bird had been silent ; its apparent size 

 might have been an illusion ; and my assur- 

 ance of the moment, absolute though it was, 

 would not bear the test of time and cold 

 blood. 



Here ended my raven-hunt. I had en- 

 joyed it, and would gladly have made it 

 longer, — in that respect it had been suc- 

 cessful ; but the " collection " I was to have 

 made, my little store of " first-hand know- 

 ledge," had fared but poorly. As far as 

 ravens were concerned, I was bringing home 

 a lean bag, — a brace of interrogation 

 points. 



