GENERAL JIM 171 
ward six o’clock Jim rose high once more, over 
the pines on the mountain, calling—the call now 
of the acknowledged leader. Not far to the 
northeast—perhaps twenty miles—was a forest 
he had once visited, with just such a pasture as 
this one here lying under its protection. By the 
time they had cleaned that the snow would surely 
be melted again, for already the wind was veering 
into the south and in the west the clouds were 
breaking. 
Jim took his bearings, cawed once more a few 
sharp, short commands, and flying low, at an alti- 
tude of about. three hundred feet, with steady 
- wing beat, he headed in an airline for his destina- 
tion. Mrs. Jim flew just behind him, almost at 
his side. By twos and threes and tens and scores, 
spread out in irregular formation, but making as 
a whole a perfectly straight though somewhat 
broken black ribbon across the sky, the great flock 
of crows rose from their perches in the forest, from 
the stream banks, the pastures, and followed him. 
The same farmer’s boy was out in the fields as Jim 
went overhead. He saw the long line coming on 
behind, and he saw that Jim had disappeared into 
