240 BIG GAME FIELDS 



on its way. A jay piped up and flew to a nearby 

 tree, pouring forth his sweetest notes as if his 

 little chest could not contain all his happiness. 

 One day a great flock of parrots flew over, wing- 

 ing their way South, the sun glistening on their 

 brilliant plumage of scarlet, green, and gold. A 

 flock of Messena partridge came trooping by 

 within stone's throw, picking up seeds and feed- 

 ing greedily, while all the time, on the very top of 

 a stark, bare-limbed pine, blinked a great horned 

 owl. These bright pleasant hours were not of 

 his kind; it was not until the gathering night 

 that he unfolded his shadowy wings and drifted 

 abroad in search of meat. For he, too, belonged 

 to the killers, and many of the nightly tragedies 

 might be laid at his door. Perhaps with a slash- 

 ing winnow he would drop like a bolt from the 

 sky upon some squirrel to seize him in his crushing 

 talons and make off. And so the play of nature 

 was so absorbing that the hours slipped by until 

 the afternoon of the third day. 



