midday
That strange scream smote his ears once more . And Jasper trembled both with rage and fear . He knew then that the stranger was still in the valley . JASPER JAY had said nothing to anyone concerning the horrid call , which had sounded twice -- each time at midday . But now that he felt sure the strange bird whose cry he had heard must have come to live in Pleasant Valley , he could no longer keep from mentioning the matter . Chancing to meet his cousin , Mr. Crow , the next morning , Jasper stopped to talk with the old gentleman . You see , Mr. Crow was widely known as a gossip .