"And it looked back at me." By the way he said it, it was clear he
hardly expected to be believed.
"Of course," said Uncle Felix.
"Naturally," added Tim.
"And what d'you think?" Stumper went on, a note of yearning and even
passion in his voice. "What d'you think?" he whispered: "I felt it had
a message for me--brought _me_ a message--something to tell me--"
"Round its neck or foot?" asked Tim.
Stumper drew the boy closer and looked down into his face. "Eyes," he
mumbled, "in its small bright eyes. There was a flash, I saw it
plainly--something strange and marvellous, something I've been looking
for all my life."
No one said a single word, but the old soldier felt the understanding
sympathy rising like steam from all of them.
"Then, suddenly, it was gone--out into the open sky--bang into the
sunrise. And I saw the dawn all over everything. I dressed--rushed
out--and--"
"Had it laid an egg?" Tim asked, remembering another kind of hunting
somewhere, long ago.
"How could it?" Judy corrected him quickly. "There was--no time--"
then stopped abruptly. She turned towards Come-Back Stumper; she gave
him a hurried and affectionate hug.
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