Of
course, I did most of the talking, but she understood. Why, ma'am,
I've awakened in the night to find her standing over me and my
cheek wet where she'd kissed it. She'd leave the nicest grass just
to come and visit with me."
Alaire turned a quick glance upon the speaker to find his face set
and his eyes miserable. Impulsively she laid her hand upon his
arm, saying:
"I know how you must feel. Do you know what has always been my
dearest wish? To be able to talk with animals; and to have them
trust me. Just think what fun it would be to talk with the wild
things and make friends of them. Oh, when I was a little girl I
used to dream about it!"
Law nodded his vigorous appreciation of such a desire. "Dogs and
horses sabe more than we give them credit for. I've learned a few
bird words, too. You remember those quail at the water-hole?"
"Oh yes."
Dave smiled absent-mindedly. "There's a wonderful book about
birds--one of the keenest satires ever written, I reckon. It's
about a near-sighted old Frenchman who was cast away on a penguin
island. He saw the big birds walking around and thought they were
human beings."
"How did you happen to read Anatole France?" Alaire asked, with a
sharp stare of surprise.
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