A squirrel above her dropped a nut, and as it
came rattling down, bouncing from branch to branch, every nerve in her
tugged wildly. When the disgusted squirrel barked loudly, she sprang to
the trail.
The wind arose higher, the changes from light to darkness were more
abrupt, while the thunder came closer and louder at every peal. In
swarms the blackbirds arose from the swale and came flocking to the
interior, with a clamoring cry: "T'CHECK, T'CHECK." Grackles marshaled
to the tribal call: "TRALL-A-HEE, TRALL-A-HEE." Red-winged blackbirds
swept low, calling to belated mates: "FOL-LOW-ME, FOL-LOW-ME." Big,
jetty crows gathered close to her, crying, as if warning her to flee
before it was everlastingly too late. A heron, fishing the near-by pool
for Freckles' "find-out" frog, fell into trouble with a muskrat and
uttered a rasping note that sent Mrs. Duncan a rod down the line without
realizing that she had moved. She was too shaken to run far. She stopped
and looked around her fearfully.
Several bees struck her and were angrily buzzing before she noticed
them.
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