JIM CROW 



35 



ing back over his shoulder as he flew a cry of with- 

 ering scorn, a sort of, "You would, would you!" 



This, to be sure, by itself was hardly evidence 

 that the crow is an enemy of field-mice, but it kept 

 his owners on the 

 lookout, and 

 plenty of evidence 

 was forthcoming 

 later in the year, 

 when, after the 

 corn had been 

 shocked and the 

 fields frozen, he 

 used to follow who- 

 ever went out from 

 the barn for a load 

 of fodder, and 

 hover over the 

 shock as it was 

 lifted. Frequently, 

 of course, a mouse 

 would scurry out 

 from beneath, 

 sometimes three or 

 four mice, and 

 down upon them 

 Jim would pounce 

 with astonishing 



speed, and kill them apparently with a single tweak 

 of his powerful bill. No matter if four mice 

 ran out from under the same shock at the same 

 time, he would invariably get every one, and then 

 proceed to hide them. 



His liking for bright objects is some- 

 times a nuisance 



