BANNERTAIL AND THE ECHO VOICE
THE Hunger-moon, our February, was half worn away when again the sky
gods seemed to win against the powers of chill and gloom. Food was ever
scarcer, but Bannertail had enough, and was filled with the vigor of
young life. The sun came up in a cloudless sky that day, and blazed
through the branches of still, tense woodland, the air was crisp and
exhilarating, and Bannertail, tingling with the elation of life, leaped
up for the lust of leaping, and sang out his loudest song:
"_Qua, qua, qua, quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_" from a high perch. Ringing
across the woodland it went, and the Woodwales drummed on hardwood
drums, in keen responsiveness, to the same fair, vernal influence of the
time.
Though he seemed only to sing for singing's sake, he was conscious
lately of a growing loneliness, a hankering for company that had never
possessed him all winter; indeed, he had resented it when any hint of
visitors had reached him, but now he was restless and desireful, as well
as bursting with the wish to sing.
"_Qua, qua, qua, quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_" he sang again and again, and on
the still, bright air were echoes from the hills.
"_Qua, qua, quaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_" He poured it out again, and the echo
came, "_Qua, quaaaaa!_" Then another call, and the echo, "_Quaaa!_"
Was it an echo?
He waited in silence--then far away he heard the soft "_Qua, quaa_" that
had caught his ear last fall. The voice of another Graycoat, but so soft
and alluring that it thrilled him. Here, indeed, was the answer to the
hankering in his heart.
[Illustration]
But even as he craned and strained to locate its very place, another
call was heard:
"_Qua, qua, qua, quaaaaaa_"
from some big strong Graycoat like himself, and all the fighting blood
in him was stirred. He raced to the ground and across the woodland to
the hillside whence the voice came.
On a log he stopped, with senses alert for new guidance. "_Qua, qua,
quaaa_," came the soft call, and up the tree went Bannertail, a silvery
tail-tip flashed behind the trunk, and now, ablaze with watchfulness, he
followed fast. Then came a lone, long "_Qua, qua_," then a defiant
"_Grrff_," like a scream, and a third big Graysquirrel appeared, to
scramble up after Bannertail.
_THE COURTING OF SILVERGRAY_