CARDINAL 21 



sooner was I at the spot where I had lost him than 

 I was greeted with his loud note. And there he was, 

 hopping out from among the thistles, a most forlorn- 

 looking object, his plumage wet and draggled, and 

 his feet thickly covered with wet clay! And he was 

 glad to see me! As soon as I put the cage down he 

 came straight to it and, without a moment's hesitation, 

 hopped in and began feasting on the seed. 



It was a happy ending. My bird had had a lesson 

 which he would not forget; there would be no more 

 tugging at the wires, nor would he ever wish to be 

 free again. So I imagined. But I was wrong. From 

 that time the bird's disposition was changed: ever 

 in a restless anxious state, he would flit from side to 

 side of his cage, chirping loudly, but never singing — 

 never one note; the gladness that had made him 

 sing so wonderfully had quite gone out of him. And 

 invariably, after hopping about for a few moments, 

 he would go back to the wire which had been loosened 

 and bent — the one weak spot which was now repaired 

 — and tug at and shake it again. And at last, greatly 

 to my surprise, he actually succeeded in bending the 

 same wire once more and making his escape! 



Once more I went to look for him with the cage in 

 my hand, but when I found him he refused to be 

 tempted. I left him for a day to starve, then tried 

 him again; and then again many and many times 

 on many following days, for he was now much too 

 strong on the wing to be hunted down; but though 

 he invariably greeted and appeared to welcome me 

 with his loud chirp, he refused to come down, and 



