THE HACKBERRY TREE TELLS HIS STORY 69 



way along the old sunken logs lying along the edge 

 of the water, and, locating the catfish, pike, bass, 

 and suckers that had stopped in the shadows of the 

 old logs, they would have no trouble whatever in 

 having a fish dinner any evening. The great blue 

 heron would wade out on the shallow sand bars in a 

 stately fashion, and become a motionless statue in 

 the rippling waters. Suddenly the long blue neck 

 would flash like a coiled spring and a shining min- 

 now would come from the water on the points of 

 that spear-like bill. 



"The wild ducks, that now go to the wilderness 

 of the north to rear their young, found the same 

 conditions here then, and in the autumn the streams 

 and lakes were covered with wild fowl of all kinds. 

 Prairie chicken and quail seemed to be everywhere 

 along the edge of the timber, and in the early morn- 

 ing the booming of the big prairie roosters could 

 be heard in the distance, as the hum of many swarms 

 of bees. 



"In the mornings the wild turkey gobbler would 

 lead his flock from the timber out to the edge of 

 the prairie to feed on the grasshoppers and the 

 crickets, the wild strawberries and the wild grapes 

 which grew in abundance near the alder thickets 

 on the hillsides. They would return at night and 



