Just at that point, Betty lost her footing and stepped sidewise into a pool of water, exclaiming a little over her wet feet. With a little whir, the fox sparrows, and a small flock of juncos which had been hidden from sight, rose from the old leaves and fresh green of the new plants to fly away. But from across the stream there came a clear little carol which was some fox sparrow’s “goodbye,” so Cathalina said.
“I had no idea that there were so many juncos there,” said Lilian. “I was watching the fox sparrows when all at once those whisking white tail feathers came into view.”
“It’s the vesper sparrow that has those white feathers on the sides of the tail, too,—isn’t it, Hilary?” asked Betty.
“Yes, and other birds, too, but it is easy at a quick glance to identify these little birds that way, as they fly.”
“You’d better get back to the Hall, Betty,” said Cathalina. “We don’t want any cases of tonsillitis in Lakeview Suite. Come on, want a hand up?”
“No, thanks, Cathie, I’m still able to climb up a hillside.”
The girls scrambled up the hillside that led to the wood, while as they did so, Lilian called their attention to the sound of an airplane humming above them. “Another kind of a bird,” said she, “a humming bird.”
“More like a night hawk,” said Isabel, “circling around up there. Somebody is practicing. Perhaps it is the hydroplane.”
Out over the lake, back over the fields behind Greycliff, out of sight up river, behind the woods, appearing again and coming toward them, then turning away in the direction of “White Wings,” the plane finally disappeared entirely from view.
“I suppose it is from one of the aviation fields,” said Lilian. “I haven’t gotten used to them yet. I’m so glad that Phil isn’t in the aviation. It’s just as dangerous practicing as it is in battle.”
“Oh, no, not quite,” said Isabel. “There are a few more chances to fall under fire. There’s where I’d be if I were a soldier, sailing over the clouds,” and Isabel’s hand made all sorts of gyrations in illustration.
The girls became rather more sober in the thoughts of their brothers and friends that came to them with the suggestions of aviation and the camps. They hurried toward and into the Hall, Betty to change her shoes, and the other girls to hunt up the evening papers with the latest news from the front. Mail, also, was delivered, and Lilian received a long package from the camp where Philip was located.