SIGNS OF RAIN. 155 



9 



against another a sour.d that don't seem exactly to 

 be a sound either a sound that we seem to hear but 

 can't describe ; you can't tell what way it comes from, 

 whether from the right hand or left, that seems to be 

 far off, and yet you can't say it isn't close by ; yet it's 

 in the forest, all around you. Well, that mysterious 



voice says, ' it will rain.' Look at that brood of young 

 ducks, scampering about, dipping their heads under 

 the water, and lettin' it run down their backs see the 

 old one, how often she sits up on eend, and flaps her 

 wings, as if about flyin' away those ducks are sayin', 

 plain as day, 'it will rain.' Look at that baswood 

 tree on the point before you see how fan-like it lifts 

 its leaves, turnin' their under side to the sun, makin' 

 the tree-top shine all over like silver ; that tree is 

 tellin' us ' it will rain.' Even Shack, there, in the 

 bow of the canoe, by his uneasy motions, curling him- 

 felf up in a heap at t the bottom, and then as soon as 

 he's fairly settled, gettin' onto his feet again, and 

 nosin' out over the water, he says ' it'll rain.' 



"Now, Squire, it's by observin' and puttin' things 

 together that a woodman comes to understand such 

 matters. I don't consider such knowledge any great 

 tilings, but n sho'.vs that all the larnin' in the world 



