close by. Ranger dashed in at once, struck a hot scent and went off
on a lively straight-away till his voice was lost in the distance away
over the upland.

After nearly an hour he came back, panting and warm, for it was
baking August weather, and lay down at my feet.

But almost immediately thc same foxy 'Yap yurrr' was heard close
at hand and off dashed the dog on another chase.

Away he went in the darkness, baying like a foghorn, straight away
to the north. And the loud 'Boo, boo,' became a low 'oo,oo,' and
that a feeble 'o-o' and then was lost. They must have gone some
miles away, for even with ear to the ground I heard nothing of
them though a mile was easy distance for Ranger's brazen voice.

As I waited in the black woods I heard a sweet sound of dripping
water: 'Tink tank tenk tink, Ta tink tank tenk tonk.'

I did not know of any spring so near, and in the hot night it was a
glad find. But the sound led me to the bough of a oak-tree, where I
found its source. Such a soft sweet song; full of delightful
suggestion on such a night:

Tonk tank tenk tink
Ta tink a tonk a tank a tink a
Ta ta tink tank ta ta tonk tink
Drink a tank a drink a drunk.

It was the 'water-dripping' song of the saw-whet owl.