THE BEECH WOODS 



banks glowed with a profusion of vio- 

 lets of every variety. By the bank of 

 the creek, nodding in serried ranks, 

 grew the Solomon's seal, and further 

 on the belwort, with its cornflower yel- 

 low bells, seemed vainly trying to fill 

 the open spaces between the trees. On 

 the very edge of the creek bank, still 

 further along, as if to perpetuate some 

 wild wave of the floods that swept down 

 the creek in years gone by, a mass of 

 foam flower topped the crest and went 

 rippling down the side in little waves 

 of white. 



Just here a solitary crow came sail- 

 ing overhead, and catching sight of the 

 Neighbour, circled around and gave 

 two harsh caws, which were immedi- 

 ately answered by its mate far back in 

 the woods. He continued to call and 

 seemed to say, " Come here, come here." 

 There was something he did not under- 

 stand about this animal dressed in the 

 garb of the woods, so he called his mate 

 and alighted on a branch high over- 

 head. Presently he came down closer 

 and closer, peering first with one eye, 

 then with the other, while his mate, 

 30 



