e scarecrow had
done wi' et, an' the tails were so long as an Act o' Parlyment.
'Top o' this was a whackin' big turmut by way o' face, wi' a red
scarf round the neck--from Aunt Deb'rah's petticoat--an' wan o' th'
ould man's left-off wigs 'pon the crown, an' a high-poll hat, a bit
rusted wi' Sunday obsarvance, to finish. Did I say 'to finish'?

"Well, then, I said wrong. 'Cos jest when I'd a-rigged 'n up, down
comes Aunt Deb'rah an' cries out, 'Aw, Caleb, here be suthin' more!
Do 'ee fix et in, that's a dear; an' ef et don't scare away any bird
as iver flied, then,' says she, 'I'm wuss nor any bird'; an' wi' that
she opens her hand an' gies me the Lawyer's cast-off eye.

"So I outs wi' my pocket-knife an' digs a hole in the turmat face,
an' inside o' ten minnits there was the scarecrow finished off.
Aw, sir, 'twas a beautiful scarecrow; an' when us stuck et up, I tell
'ee that from the kitchen windeys, three hundred yards away, et
seemed like life itsel'.

"Well, sir, fust day 'twas stuck there, I sot beside the hedge, round
the corner, watchin', and while I sot two queerish things happen'd--
tho' the fust warn't so queer nuther, but jest human natur', when you
comes to consider et. 'Twas this. I hadn' been there an hour afore
_two score an' dree wimmen_--I knows, 'cos I kep' count--came, wan
arter anuther, down to the gate to make sheep's eyes at that
scarecrow, havin' heerd as there was a well-dressed lad down among
the peas. An' that's true, ef I swears et 'pon the Book."

"Ah!" was Mr. Fogo's only comment.

"Iss, sir; an' well you may say so. But the nex' thing I noticed was
a sight queerer. In fac' I dunno but et's the queerest go I iver
heard tell 'bout. But you may jedge for yoursel'.

"I'd been a-settin' there for the best part o' two hour, an' keepin'
count o' how wan bird arter another comed up for they peas, an'
turned tail at sight o' the scarecrow. For et didn' seem like no
ord'nary scarecrow, sir, wi' that eye a-glintin' in the sunshine.
I cou'd see 't from where I sot--an' so the birds thought. Well, wan
arter another, they steps up an' flies off as ef hurried for time,
when by-'m-by 'long comes an ould rook.

"He jest sa'ntered up quite leisurable, did this rook, an' lit 'pon a
pea-stick to take a blinch round. Nat'rally he cotches sight o' the
scarecrow, an' nat'rally I looked for 'n to turn tail, like the rest.
But no, sir.

"Where he was, the scarecrow's back was t'wards 'un, an' t