t it. A mourning
dove had returned to him through snow, skifting over cold earth. It
settled on a limb and began dressing its plumage. At that instant a
wavering, "Coo coo a'gh coo," broke in sobbing notes from the deep wood.
Without paying the slightest heed, the dove finished a wing, ruffled
and settled her feathers, and opened her bill in a human-like yawn. The
Harvester smiled. The notes swelled closer in renewed pleading. The cry
was beyond doubt a courting male and this an indifferent female.
Her beady eyes snapped, her head turned coquettishly, a picture of
self-possession, she hid among the dense twigs of the spice thicket.
Around the outside circled the pleading male.

With shining eyes the Harvester watched. These were of the things
that made life in the woods most worth while. More insistent grew the
wavering notes of the lover. More indifferent became the beloved. She
was superb in her poise as she amused herself in hiding. A perfect burst
of confused, sobbing notes broke on the air. Then away in the deep wood
a softly-wavering, half-questioning "Coo-ah!" answered them. Amazement
flashed into the eyes of the Harvester, but his face was not nearly so
expressive as that of the bird. She lifted a bewildered head and grew
rigid in an attitude of tense listening. There was a pause. In quicker
measure and crowding notes the male called again. Instantly the soft
"Coo!" wavered in answer. The surprised little hen bird of the thicket
hopped straight up and settled on her perch again, her dark eyes
indignant as she uttered a short "Coo!" The muscles of the Harvester's
chest were beginning to twitch and quiver. More intense grew the notes
of the pleading male. Softly seductive came the reply. The clapping
of his wings could be heard as he flew in search of the charmer. "A'gh
coo!" cried the deserted female as she tilted off the branch and tore
through the thicket in pursuit, with wings hastened by fright at the
ringing laugh of the Harvester.

"Not so indifferent after all, Bel," he said to the dog standing in
stiff point beside him. "That was all 'pretend!' But she waited just a
trifle too long. Now she will have to fight it out with a rival. Good
thing if some of the flirtatious women could have seen that. Help them
to learn their own minds sooner."

He laughed as he heaped the twigs on top of the wagon and started down
the hill chuckling. Belshazzar followed, leading Betsy straight in the
middle of the road by th