Dreaming Bob 139 



dred sparrows. Then a black hawk darted 

 by, followed by scolding crows, and disap- 

 peared. It was like an engine and coal-cars 

 rushing into a tunnel ; and all the while the 

 crested tit that had charmed me called from 

 overhead, " Here, here." After all, the old 

 man was not demented, and I had found his 

 " daddy's chest." Then 1 awoke. 



At the promised time I appeared at the 

 door of the old man's shanty, and found him 

 waiting. What a place for a man to live ! 

 Except that he had a fire, there was almost 

 nothing in the hut that we call the necessa- 

 ries of life ; but the old man gave me no 

 opportunity to scan his surroundings closely. 

 He came out of the door-way, where he had 

 been standing as I approached, and motioned 

 to a bench under the single tree that shaded 

 the spot. 



" I've had a different dream, and want to 

 tell all about it, for now I know it's no use 

 to start a-huntin*. I was first in a ma'sh 

 that looked like a flower-garden, and then in 

 a big woods, and a little bird kept hollerin', 

 'Here,' and I follered till I dropt on a 

 bit of mossy ground. There was the same 

 trees, but a lot of birds kept goin' by, and 



