WAYLAYING THE DAWN 



black eyes which traversed my form 

 from foot to head, finally resting on my 

 eyes. Inadvertently I winked; that was 

 the only motion I made, but it was 

 enough. With a flirt of his tail and a 

 flip of his wings the catbird was through 

 the thicket and out on the other side 

 like a gray flash, scolding away at the 

 top of his voice and seeming to shout 

 as the crow had, " There 's a man in 

 the wood ! There 's a man in the wood ! 

 Look out for him ! " 



The crimson and gold of the dawn 

 had softened and diffused into diaphan- 

 ous mother-of-pearl mists of early day. 

 The June morning miracle was complete 

 and it was high time I allowed the oven 

 bird to come back and be assured that 

 her nest and eggs were safe. 



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