32 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



The sooner the better, too, before the full heat of 

 the midday sun made itself felt. 



Instinctively the boy felt to see if his skinning 

 knife were safe in its sheath, tossed off his much- 

 battered big straw hat so that it should not be in 

 his way during the climb, and began the ascent. 



Yes, the tree was treacherous. Even the lower 

 branches broke off when he grasped them. It bid 

 fair to be a tricky piece of climbing. 



Branch after branch snapped under the weight 

 of hand or foot, and, for a space, Shan was com- 

 pelled to hug his way up the tree, taking advantage 

 of every knot and bole. He had skinned his hands 

 and barked his shins a couple of times before he 

 reached a branch solid enough for him to sit upon 

 and get his breath again. 



The next dozen feet were easy climbing, but the 

 hard part still lay ahead. The cedar forked twice. 

 At the lower fork, a single branch — almost half 

 the tree — grew out and upwards. It was a sturdy 

 stem, green and flourishing, but did not come 

 nearer the nest than about five feet. On the main 

 trunk, which became more slender after the lower 

 fork, the branches were small and weak, though, 

 Shan thought, they might stand a fair strain be- 

 cause they were still green. 



