back to him on the Merry Little Breezes, he repeated it: "It is all
right now."



CHAPTER XXV: Blacky Gets A Dreadful Shock

When friends prove false, whom may we trust?
The springs of faith are turned to dust.
- Blacky the Crow.

Blacky the Crow was in the top of his favorite tree over near the
Big River early this afternoon. He didn't know what was going to
happen, but he felt in his bones that something was, and he meant to
be on hand to see. For a long time he sat there, seeing nothing
unusual. At last he spied a tiny figure far away across the Green
Meadows. Even at that distance he knew who it was; it was Farmer
Brown's boy, and he was coming toward the Big River.

"I thought as much," chuckled Blacky. "He is coming over here to
drive that hunter away."

The tiny figure grew larger. It was Farmer Brown's boy beyond a
doubt. Suddenly Blacky's eyes opened so wide that they looked as if
they were in danger of popping out of his head. He had discovered
that Farmer Brown's boy was carrying something and that that
something was a gun! Yes, Sir, Farmer Brown's boy was carrying a
terrible gun! If Blacky could have rubbed his eyes, he would have
done so, just to make sure that there was nothing the matter with
them.