l6 ON THE BIRDS' HIGHWAY 



ing the coasting schooner that lay at 

 anchor in mid-stream in a twinkling, and 

 making the woods roar and crack with its 

 fury. A rift in the nimbus clouds fol- 

 lowed the squall and the sun broke 

 through and bathed in light the Tiverton 

 hills. What a change had taken place ! 

 The undergrowth sparkled in the sun- 

 light and the sheep that had huddled 

 together in the right angle of a wall began 

 to crop the jewelled stubble. As the 

 heavens were cleared of the dark clouds, 

 the bay, a great mirror of the sky, began 

 to reflect its glorious blue and against the 

 scurrying storm a faint rainbow hung 

 over the Mount. 



Three flickers left the eaves of a hay- 

 cap roof as I passed and a single herring 

 gull sailed back and forth over the shining 

 waters of the transformed Narragansett. 

 Among the tall ungathered, but still green, 

 cabbages of the garden a song sparrow 

 lisped; his summer environment had 

 slowly faded away until only the box hedge, 

 the cabbages and the bare bean poles re- 

 mained; but the hedge gave forth its 

 same delicious fragrance notwithstanding 

 he did not pipe his song. 



