"You'll better believe I know it!" cried Jack, "for I met her again yesterday, and guess what she was doing!"
"Oh, I couldn't," said Nancy. "No one ever could guess what Arabella Corryville would do."
"Well, she looked like a witch, and acted like one, too," Jack replied. "It was yesterday that I saw her. I was going across the field, and had nearly reached the wall, when I looked up, and saw her sitting on the top bar of the—the—oh, the place where they take down the bars to let the cattle through."
"I know where you mean," said Nancy, "but why was it strange that she was sitting there?"
"It was what she was doing that was funny," Jack replied, "and because you couldn't guess, I'll tell you.
"She didn't look toward me, though I'm sure she must have heard me coming, for I was just tramping along, and whistling all the way. She was looking up at the clouds, and counting, 'one—two—three—' very slowly, and when I was close behind her, she said:
"'Hush—sh—sh! I'm charming the crows!'
"'How long does it take to do it?' I said, for it sounded like nonsense, and I wanted to hurry. It was almost lunch time.
"'Hush—sh!' she said again. 'There comes one of them now!' and sure enough a big, black crow did come flying right down, and perched on the limb of an old tree near her."
"Why, Jack Tiverton," cried Nancy, "you don't believe Arabella really made him come down, do you?"