THE BEGINNINGS OF SPRING 133 



sins, was peacefully minding the New Testament 

 injunction, "Behold the fowls of the air." In 

 short, he was the gentleman from Ormond, with 

 his glass, as it happened, focused upon a hand- 

 some prairie warbler. 



We passed the time of day, after the bird had 

 flown, — for the field has its courtesies, and we 

 respect them, — and he told me that in spite of 

 the unfavorable north wind (one of our periodical 

 cold spells is upon us, with the mercury in the 

 forties) he had ventured out, and had been lib- 

 erally rewarded. He had seen yellow-throated 

 warblers, a parula, a prairie, and I forget what 

 else, and, to take his word for it, was living in 

 clover. 



Presently a hawk swooped among the trees, 

 and every small bird became invisible as if by 

 magic. Then my companion proposed taking a 

 turn beyond the fence. This we did, and just as 

 we came suddenly upon a huge watch-dog (a 

 great Dane, I suppose he would be called), for- 

 midable-looking and chained, but fawning upon 

 us so eagerly that there was nothing for it but to 

 pat him on the head and call him a good fellow 

 — just as we approached him, I say, I nudged 

 the second man to stop. There, straight before 

 us, side by side on the rim of an iron kettle of 

 water set under the trees for the dog's benefit. 



