Occasionally he would dart off among the trees crying shrilly; but his curiosity would always get the better of him and back he would come again to try to solve the mystery of this rival whistling, which I'm sure was as shrill and as harsh as his own.
Presently, quite to my astonishment, I saw a man standing near the brookside not a dozen paces away from me.

How long he had been there I don't know, for I had heard nothing of his coming.

Beyond him in the town road I could see the head of his horse and the top of his buggy.

I said not a word, but continued with my practising.

Why shouldn't I?
But it gave me quite a thrill for the moment; and at once I began to think of the possibilities of the situation.