登陆注册
26270600000011

第11章 CHAPTER 2(5)

He decided to prospect in the opposite direction, and taking wing, he started up the river. Following the channel, he winged his flight for miles over the cool sparkling water, between the tangle of foliage bordering the banks. When he came to the long cumbrous structures of wood with which men had bridged the river, where the shuffling feet of tired farm horses raised clouds of dust and set the echoes rolling with their thunderous hoof beats, he was afraid; and rising high, he sailed over them in short broken curves of flight. But where giant maple and ash, leaning, locked branches across the channel in one of old Mother Nature's bridges for the squirrels, he knew no fear, and dipped so low beneath them that his image trailed a wavering shadow on the silver path he followed.

He rounded curve after curve, and frequently stopping on a conspicuous perch, flung a ringing challenge in the face of the morning. With every mile the way he followed grew more beautiful. The river bed was limestone, and the swiftly flowing water, clear and limpid. The banks were precipitate in some places, gently sloping in others, and always crowded with a tangle of foliage.

At an abrupt curve in the river he mounted to the summit of a big ash and made boastful prophecy, "Wet year! Wet year!" and on all sides there sprang up the voices of his kind. Startled, the Cardinal took wing. He followed the river in a circling flight until he remembered that here might be the opportunity to win the coveted river mate, and going slower to select the highest branch on which to display his charms, he discovered that he was only a few yards from the ash from which he had made his prediction.

The Cardinal flew over the narrow neck and sent another call, then without awaiting a reply, again he flashed up the river and circled Horseshoe Bend. When he came to the same ash for the third time, he understood.

The river circled in one great curve. The Cardinal mounted to the tip-top limb of the ash and looked around him. There was never a fairer sight for the eye of man or bird. The mist and shimmer of early spring were in the air. The Wabash rounded Horseshoe Bend in a silver circle, rimmed by a tangle of foliage bordering both its banks; and inside lay a low open space covered with waving marsh grass and the blue bloom of sweet calamus.

Scattered around were mighty trees, but conspicuous above any, in the very center, was a giant sycamore, split at its base into three large trees, whose waving branches seemed to sweep the face of heaven, and whose roots, like miserly fingers, clutched deep into the black muck of Rainbow Bottom.

It was in this lovely spot that the rainbow at last materialized, and at its base, free to all humanity who cared to seek, the Great Alchemist had left His rarest treasures--the gold of sunshine, diamond water-drops, emerald foliage, and sapphire sky.

For good measure, there were added seeds, berries, and insects for the birds; and wild flowers, fruit, and nuts for the children. Above all, the sycamore waved its majestic head.

It made a throne that seemed suitable for the son of the king; and mounting to its topmost branch, for miles the river carried his challenge: "Ho, cardinals! Look this way! Behold me! Have you seen any other of so great size? Have you any to equal my grace?

Who can whistle so loud, so clear, so compelling a note? Who will fly to me for protection? Who will come and be my mate?"

He flared his crest high, swelled his throat with rolling notes, and appeared so big and brilliant that among the many cardinals that had gathered to hear, there was not one to compare with him.

Black envy filled their hearts. Who was this flaming dashing stranger, flaunting himself in the faces of their females? There were many unmated cardinals in Rainbow Bottom, and many jealous males. A second time the Cardinal, rocking and flashing, proclaimed himself; and there was a note of feminine approval so strong that he caught it. Tilting on a twig, his crest flared to full height, his throat swelled to bursting, his heart too big for his body, the Cardinal shouted his challenge for the third time; when clear and sharp arose a cry in answer, "Here! Here!

Here!" It came from a female that had accepted the caresses of the brightest cardinal in Rainbow Bottom only the day before, and had spent the morning carrying twigs to a thicket of red haws.

The Cardinal, with a royal flourish, sprang in air to seek her; but her outraged mate was ahead of him, and with a scream she fled, leaving a tuft of feathers in her mate's beak. In turn the Cardinal struck him like a flashing rocket, and then red war waged in Rainbow Bottom. The females scattered for cover with all their might. The Cardinal worked in a kiss on one poor little bird, too frightened to escape him; then the males closed in, and serious business began. The Cardinal would have enjoyed a fight vastly with two or three opponents; but a half-dozen made discretion better than valour. He darted among them, scattering them right and left, and made for the sycamore. With all his remaining breath, he insolently repeated his challenge; and then headed down stream for the sumac with what grace he could command.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 重生之雄起

    重生之雄起

    重生优势加外星科技加超级智商再加武力超群等于极度妖孽。不雄起就没有天理了!!毕业后失败的林飞竟然被一场流星雨给砸中了,醒来时发现,居然重生回到了高中时代,而且凭空多出了一件带着外星智能的项链。逍遥人生从此开始...
  • 魔咒:妃不出残王的掌心

    魔咒:妃不出残王的掌心

    “放我走吧!”纪红豆绝望的大喊。宫莫辰覆上来,吻住她的红唇,“不放,不放,不放!”“有意思吗?”她猛然推开他。“你骗我这么久了,还要骗我到什么时候?我不爱宫莫辰,我爱的是灏明!”“这有分别吗?”他深邃的眼眸里闪过一抹无奈,俯下头来,再度吻上她的唇,觉察出她的颤抖与无助,他冷酷而低哑地笑了。---“答应我,活下去!”他伏在她的耳边,鲜血染红了她的领口,“为我活下去!”“宫莫辰,不要,不要离开我……”她慌乱的低叫着。他染血的唇,含住她的耳垂,而他粗糙的手伸入她的衣袖中抚摸着她水嫩的肌肤,“红豆……我有没有告诉过你,我爱……你!”“宫莫辰,你给我醒醒,我不爱你,一点不爱你,你若敢死,我永远不爱你,这辈子,下辈子都不爱你……”他嘴角勾起邪恶的微笑,猛地翻身便用力压上了她,鲜血滴在她的脸上,“这辈子,下辈子,你都休想不爱我……”
  • 绝世狂后

    绝世狂后

    简介:前世的她,是万人敬仰的杀手之王。她有至高无上的光环与荣耀,可只有她才明白,这条道路是用无数的鲜血铺成的。一朝穿越,她成为宰相之女,享尽荣华富贵,本以为可就此无忧无虑过此生,奈何天不遂人愿。为了保护所爱之人,她不得不再一次执起手中的刀。人若犯我,我必除人;天若负我,我必逆天!这一世,看她如何平天下,主沉浮!
  • 重生之弃女惊华

    重生之弃女惊华

    本文重生,女强,爽文,1v1,男女主身心干净!母亲名门贵女,父亲高门显赫,宋暮槿却注定了是个见不得光的存在,出生被弃,无人问津,再被想起,也只因为她还是一枚可用的棋子,重回侯府,她一世挣扎,即使遁入空门也终逃不过阴谋倾轧,于是绝地反击,弱女崛起,盛怒之下,她举箭射杀当朝安王世子妃,被人剖心,饮恨而终。时间往复,宋暮槿又回到了那个山清水秀的小山村,这一世归来,她绝不重蹈覆辙,养父淳厚,养母心善,便人人都想踩一脚?弟弟聪明伶俐,他们却要被欺年幼无依?无权无势又怎样?宋暮槿发誓她这辈子只靠自己也一定能活的富贵锦绣,哪个不长眼的上门找茬,就大把银子砸死他!推荐小西旧文名门之一品贵女http://www.*****.com/?info/553235.html侯门闺秀http://www.*****.com/?info/486264.html重生之名门贵女http://www.*****.com/?info/440645.html
  • 血剑残阳录

    血剑残阳录

    为人之道,以心明道神魔之道,以道明心善者本心,恶者无心,善恶之分难辨是非大千之道,有始有终,轮回之道无始无终
  • 黑道圣徒的回归

    黑道圣徒的回归

    软弱的曾经已经一去不复返,我回到这里,就是为了“报答”那些混蛋。
  • 别跑,要定你

    别跑,要定你

    她--【叶宣】一个从小就呆在训练团,是残月帮主,拥有万人羡慕的身世,有一个超级爱她的哥哥,没有什么朋友,这次,回来完成学业,殊不知却遇到了对的他。。他--【寒羽】王牌校草,是寒羽帮主,同时也是寒氏集团少爷,从小人人惧怕,没有人敢对他说不,没有人敢违背他的意愿,而她,注定是他的致命伤。。
  • 虚拟世界:地球

    虚拟世界:地球

    三个在宏观世界可以看做没有粒子——两个质子和一个电子的发现,使人类逐渐意识到:我们的世界竟是虚拟的!外面的世界是什么样的?我们又是什么?这一个又一个的疑问等着人们去揭开。
  • TFBOYS一起走过的时光

    TFBOYS一起走过的时光

    在一起走过的时光中,他们发生了许多的事,但是他们最终还是在一起了……
  • 易烊千玺:轻松熊与千纸鹤的故事

    易烊千玺:轻松熊与千纸鹤的故事

    问惦记一个人十三年是什么感觉?易少说:“天天想着,壁咚她,床咚她,蹂躏她,总之就是想和她做各种羞羞的事。”四岁那年,白姑娘被惦记上了,这一惦记就是十三年。十七岁那年,白姑娘被迫与易少签订‘契约情侣’条约。从此,掐她桃花睡她床,入了她的心。“恶魔,不许过来!我们只是……唔!”契约情侣还未说出口,白姑娘就被堵上了嘴。易少邪魅一笑:“小呆,契约情侣也是情侣。更何况,你可是我的老婆。”说罢,易少用一夜时间,体力行的证明了两人的关系。这是一个腹黑恶魔把呆萌甜心拐回家的故事。[√放心入坑√高能甜宠√你来我宠]〖推荐沁宝其他小说《王俊凯:下辈子依旧无缘》〗