every mark of the night was plain. Here and 

 there were broad, ragged-edged bands across the 

 road — the trails of the wandering box-turtles. 

 I saw the smooth, waving channel left by a snake 

 that had just gone across. Here and there were 

 bunches of rabbit tracks, and every little while 

 appeared large spots in the road, where some 

 bird had been dusting itself. 



Suddenly I made a sharp turn, and almost ran 

 over a whippoorwill concealed in a very cloud 

 of dust which she was flirting up with her wings. 

 This explained the spots back along the road. 

 The bird flew up and settled a few yards ahead 

 of me, and took another hasty dip. This she 

 kept up for nearly a quarter of a mile. 



The road was alive with whippoorwills. It 

 was their bathing-hour, and playtime, too. The 

 serious business of the night was done ; they had 

 hunted through the first hours, and now it was 

 time to be social. The light was coming rap- 

 idly, and so was bedtime ; but they called and 

 capered about me, playing away the narrowing 

 night to the very edge of day. 



On my return, an hour later, the sun was 

 looking over the tops of the "cut-offs," but he 

 [73] 



