7O More Tales of the Birds 



was coming much faster than he had ever seen 

 it, and its voice was deeper and hoarser ; for 

 far away up on the hills the great storm was 

 already travelling round and round, and the 

 growling of its thunder mixed ominously with 

 the deepening tone of the river. So he crept 

 into the hole and lay down by the others ; and 

 they all listened to the fearful splashing of the 

 rain, and the scream of the tearing gusts, and 

 the sighing of the trees on the hill above them. 

 From time to time the old birds went out to 

 get food for themselves and the young, and 

 perhaps, too, to enjoy the freshening moisture, 

 and the towzling worry of the wind, as old birds 

 can and may after a long calm and drought. It 

 might have been wiser if one of them had 

 stayed at home ; but the young ones were quiet 

 and overawed, and, what was more, they were 

 hungry. 



During one of these absences the violence of 

 the storm seemed to abate a little, and the 

 flashes of sudden fire which had been making 

 them shut their eyes came now but very faintly. 

 It was getting towards evening, and the restless 



