190 THE FACE OF THE FIELDS 



on ; that he wanted to go to the right or to the 

 left, yet kept moving straight ahead. 



We came to a big wallow in the snow, where, 

 in sudden fear, he had had a fit at the thought of 

 something that might not have happened to him 

 had he stayed at home. Every foot of the trail 

 read, "He would if he could; but if he would n't, 

 how could he?" 



We followed him on, across a dozen other 

 trails, for it is not every winter night that the 

 muskrat's feet get the better of his head, and, 

 willy-nilly, take him abroad. Strange and fatal 

 weakness ! He goes and cannot stop. 



Along the stone wall of the meadow we tracked 

 him, across the highroad, over our garden, into the 

 orchard, up the woody hill to the yard, back down 

 the hill to the orchard, out into the garden, and 

 back toward the orchard again ; and here, on a 

 knoll just in the edge of the scanty, skeleton 

 shadow where the moon fell through the trees, we 

 lost him. 



Two mighty wings had touched the snow lightly 

 here, and the lumbering trail had vanished as into 

 the air. 



Close and mysterious the silent wings hang 



