78 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
a safe distance. He could not dismiss the incident from his 
mind, and finally recalled what another bird expert had related 
bearing upon the same subject. Then the unseemly behavior 
of this crow was perfectly clear to him. It was evident from 
what he saw that this crow had offended against the security 
of the flock by permitting some hunter to stalk the crow family 
and take a shot at them while they were down feeding in the 
field. All who are conversant with the habits of the crow know 
that they always station a sentry on duty in some tall tree to 
watch over them, before they alight in the farmer’s field to 
appease their hunger. The average person is also aware that 
such watchman on the wall who, carelessly, indifferently, or 
otherwise permits injury to come to those who have trusted 
their lives to his keeping, is sure to face execution by the flock. 
On this occasion it must be presumed that they had held a 
criminal session of their court and had adjudged him worthy 
of death. Seeing the hunter with gun conveniently near, he 
had been ordered to his death, to which he went freely. His 
only alternative would have been a slow and agonizing death 
inflicted upon him by the beaks of his fellows, which is their 
usual method of execution. Had the bird fled at the first shot, 
which was a complete miss, the hunter might have had occa¬ 
sion to reason otherwise, but the crow came boldly on for the 
second and even the fatal third. 
