204 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



muttered, a heavy cloud of trouble faintly showing 

 itself on his expressionless face. 



Presently the lad was stirred from his gloomy 

 thoughts by a question in the branches overhead. 



''Quirtr' 



Even in his trouble, the boy could not help 

 noticing that the alarm cries had ceased. He did 

 not know, no one knows, how birds reach their con- 

 clusions, or if their actions are guided only by in- 

 stinct, but it was evident that the cessation of the 

 alarm cries showed that the Thrushes felt more 

 confidence in the presence of the boy than in the 

 presence of the cat. 



Ten long minutes passed, during which the lad 

 tried to determine what should be done. He had 

 killed the cat, there was no doubt of that. 



Then, with a little chirp, the mother Thrush 

 flitted to the nest and placed a juicy Daddy-Long- 

 Legs in the beak of one of the fledgelings, though 

 the boy was sitting not a dozen paces away. She 

 did not seem to notice that there were but three 

 fledgelings where there had been four before. 

 Perhaps, Shan thought, birds cannot count. 



His cogitations found voice at last. 



"I don't care," he said, aloud; ''I'd do it again, 

 even if I knew." 



