152 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
to tell him of food in the field. He came closer, 
with increased confidence, till he could see that 
they were getting food from the black, exposed 
earth on the sides of a swift brook which cut 
through the grass, a dark, winding thread on the 
snow-white sheet of the meadow. Jim circled 
close now, three or four times, cawing a tenta- 
tive answer to the greetings of the three strangers. 
Then he flew into a tree and watched the pro- 
ceedings a few moments more, before actually 
venturing to join the tiny flock. At last he made 
up his mind, swung out on the air with a loud 
caw, and dropped to the side of the brook, ex- 
tracting a mussel from the ooze, for that was what 
the others were doing. 
After he had only partially satisfied his hun- 
ger, the other three crows flew away, flinging 
back a half invitation to join them as they went. 
Jim was tempted, but he couldn’t quite make up 
his mind to go. Instead, he fished some more, 
and then he went back to his familiar pine tree 
for the night. For several days thereafter Jim 
Joined these three crows every day, traveling with 
them about the country looking for food, and 
