60 THE MOUNTAINS 



an experiment. As quietly as possible 

 I made my way to the opposite side of the 

 brush-heap. Several moments of abso- 

 lute silence followed. I could not hear 

 even the small rustle of the ferns in the 

 night air. Suddenly the moon, almost 

 full, which had just risen over Mount 

 Cannon, poured a flood of silver light into 

 the clearing, revealing Dulcet on a dead 

 branch which reached out of the snarl 

 over toward me. I could almost touch 

 him. He was, apparently, as much aston- 

 ished as I was, for he looked me straight 

 in the face a moment or two, and then 

 rapidly repeated his call five times — 

 chuck ! chuck ! chuck ! chuck ! chuck ! This 

 emphatic speech concluded, he flew into 

 the woods. I remained for a time without 

 moving, feeling something I will not try 

 to describe; then I looked out through the 

 opening, across the fields, and there stood 

 the mountains majestic in the moonlight, 

 and I thought, "I am very glad that they 

 do not migrate." 



