She would never have admitted it , but she felt a little secret jealousy of Persis Ford , concerning whose wonderful beauty and city glamour she had heard a great deal . No , she was n't going to go down there and play second fiddle to anybody . She and Una took their story books to Rainbow Valley and read , while Carl investigated bugs along the banks of the brook , and all three were happy until they suddenly realized that it was twilight and that the old Bailey garden was uncomfortably near by . Carl came and sat down close to the girls . They all wished they had gone home a little sooner , but nobody said anything . Great , velvety , purple clouds heaped up in the west and spread over the valley . There was no wind and everything was suddenly , strangely , dreadfully still . The marsh was full of thousands of fire-flies . Surely some fairy parliament was being convened that night . Altogether , Rainbow Valley was not a canny place just then . Faith looked fearfully up the valley to the old Bailey garden . Then , if anybody 's blood ever did freeze , Faith Meredith 's certainly froze at that moment . The eyes of Carl and Una followed her entranced gaze and chills began gallopading up and down their spines also . For there , under the big tamarack tree on the tumble-down , grass-grown dyke of the Bailey garden , was something white -- shapelessly white in the gathering gloom . The three Merediths sat and gazed as if turned to stone . `` It 's -- it 's the -- calf , '' whispered Una at last . `` It 's -- too -- big -- for the calf , '' whispered Faith . Her mouth and lips were so dry she could hardly articulate the words . Suddenly Carl gasped , `` It 's coming here . '' The girls gave one last agonized glance .
Yes , it was creeping down over the dyke , as no XXXXX ever did or could creep .
blood calf eyes jealousy mouth place something spread tree west