206 FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA 



vanna sparrow ! " said I ; and at the word 

 we looked at each other. The same thought 

 had come to both of us. Several days be- 

 fore, in another part of the township, we had 

 heard in the distance — in a field inhabited 

 by savanna and vesper sparrows — an ut- 

 terly strange set of bird-notes. " What is 

 that ? " we both asked. The strain was re- 

 peated. " Oh, well," said I, " that must be 

 the work of a crazy savanna. Birds are 

 given to such freaks, you know." The grass 

 was wet, we had a long forenoon's jaunt be- 

 fore us, and although my companion, as he 

 said, " took no stock " in my explanation, 

 we passed on. Now it flashed upon us both 

 that what we had heard was the song of a 

 prairie lark. " I believe it was," said the 

 botanist. '' I know it was," said I ; " I 

 would wager anjiihing upon it." And it 

 was ; for after returning to the hotel our 

 first concern was to go to the place — only 

 half a mile away — and find the bird. And 

 not only so, but twenty-four hours later we 

 saw one soaring in his most ecstatic manner 

 over another field, a mile or so beyond, be- 

 side the same road. 



