THE INN IN THE FOREST— STRANGE NEWS 211 



" Yes, the birds of the American forest." 



" The chickadees, and herons, and eagles? " 



" Yes." 



" Who showed them to him? " 



" A court botanist. The Czar has been visiting Eng- 

 land." 



" The court of Queen Victoria?" 



" Yes." 



" You amaze me, squire; it don't seem possible! I knew 

 that man had a purpose in him; I could see it in his eye. 

 What is it the Czar has given him? " 



" A snuff-box." 



" That ain't much of a gift." 



" But probably it is gold." 



" That alters the case." 



" And studded with gems, as I think. But that is 

 not all; for the Czar to give a golden snuff-box to a scien- 

 tist is a mark of the highest distinction. Audubon has 

 become one of the most famous men of the world. Let 

 me read." 



He read a paragraph relating to the delight which the 

 Czar had found in Audubon's American Birds, which he 

 had examined on his visit to the English court. 



The men stood up, tired as they were, to listen to the 

 wonderful intelligence. 



" I hope he won't come this way with one of his books," 

 said Calvert. " I never have made one thousand dollars 



