69 



The mother said it was cruel to keep him away 

 from his kind, and so his master agreed to let his 

 clipped wing feathers grow. 



Even after they had grown, however, James 

 seemed in no hurry to leave his old home. 



To be sure he did go farther afield, but he always 

 came back at night. 



At last, however, there came a night when James 

 did not return, though he reappeared the next 

 day. Then he went away again and that time he 

 did not come back at all. 



It was not until the fall that they saw anything 

 of him. Then one day as one of the boys was cross- 

 ing a plowed field a crow flew down on a furrow 

 near by with a friendly caw. 



" James, James ! " called the boy. 



The crow cocked his head on one side and seemed 

 to listen. 



" James, come here, old fellow," said the boy again. 



He went over toward the crow and it sat quite 

 still watching him until he was so close that he put 

 out his hand to touch it. 



Then it rose with a caw and flew away, flapping 

 heavily across the blue sky, on and on beyond the 

 hill and out of sight. 



