ts side, so that the whole tough net-work
of roots stood straight up in the air.

The small boys wearied of digging canals between the water-holes. "Look
at that great big crow over there," said one of them.

They armed themselves with a stone in each hand, and came sneaking
forward behind the hummocks.

The raven saw them quite well. But that was not the worst thing it saw.

Not even out on the morass was antiquity to be left in peace. He had
now seen that even the gray tree-roots, older than the oldest raven, and
firmly inwoven into the deep, bottomless morass--that even they had to
yield before the sharp axes.

And when the boys had got so near that they were on the point of opening
fire, he raised his heavy wings and soared aloft.

But as he rose into the air and looked down upon the toiling men and the
stupid boys, who stood gaping at him with a stone in each hand, a great
wrath seized the old bird.

He swooped down upon the boys like an eagle, and while his great wings
flounced about their ears, he shrieked in a terrible voice, "Go to the
devil!"

The boys gave a yell and threw themselves down upon the ground. When
they presently ventured to look up again, all was still and deserted as
before. Far away, a solitary blackbird winged to the westward.

But till they grew to be men--aye, even to their dying day--they were
firmly convinced that the Evil One himself had appeared to them out on
the black morass, in the form of a monstrous black bird with eyes of
fire.

But it was only an old raven, flying westward to unearth a sow's ear
which it had buried.

"HOPE'S CLAD IN APRIL GREEN."

"You're kicking up the dust!" cried Cousin Hans.

Ola did not hear.

"He's quite as deaf as Aunt Maren," thought Hans. "You're kicking up the
dust!" he shouted, louder.

"Oh, I beg your pardon!" said Cousin Ola, and lifted his feet high in
air at every step. Not for all the world would he do anything to annoy
his brother; he had too much on his conscience already.

Was he not at this very moment thinking of her whom he knew that his
brother loved? And was it not sinful of him to be unable to conquer a
passion which, besides being a wrong towards his own brother, was so
utterly hopeless?

Cousin Ola took himself sternly to task, and while he kept to the other
side of the way, so as not to make a dust, he tried with all his might
to think of the most indifferent things. But however far away his
thoughts might s