Among the Prophets 



cheeks outpuff ed. If you were to catch him thus, 

 you had to work with gusto. But there were bet- 

 ter days when he was content with whistUng; and 

 then you showed his presence by the bend of 

 branch and tree-top and the dancing shadows 

 that he shook. Or on other days he came slowly, 

 lilting; and you could only hint his presence 

 gently by the play of light among the leaves. 

 Sometimes, moreover, he was drowsed by summer 

 heat ; and you had to give the clew to fitful slum- 

 ber by the stir of grass or bracken on the moors. 

 Water, too, like wind, was undependable, never 

 twice the same. Here at the coast it was often 

 fierce and often suUen, yet threatening always in 

 its power. But in hidden inland places the as- 

 pect that you tried to give it, was orie of delicacy 

 and shimmering gia,ce. And lucky were you if 

 you could contrive to show the surface faintly 

 warmed above the icy springs below. Line and 

 rhythm you might hope to capture, but never 

 space; Nor depth — ^that was not final, though 

 mysteriously deepening, fold on fold. But what- 

 ever you were after, you were to look with eyes 

 of wonder, with perpetual astonishment. The 



[47] 



