Stronger blew the wind, and the top of the pines shook occasionally with a solemn rushing sound that resembled distant thunder.

The breeze swayed the grass, the blades nodded and bowed beside the remains of the brave man as if they were asking his forgiveness for the bloody deed of which they had been the innocent witnesses.

A crow came up, flapping her wings, and alighted on a tree which stood near the corpse, and peered down upon the body.

Then she croaked hoarsely, jumped to a lower limb, and peered again.

Thus the bird continued to descend from one branch to another, croaking and chuckling as it were to herself.