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and pla) T ed them off one against the other. Whenever some rare

stuff came in, wires went flying about to all the suburbs calling

the three like eagles to their prey. Among the dealers was one

very downy one. One day he received three rare Tanagers ; off

went three wires, all to the same effect: “ A very rare Tanager

has come only one in market. Come at once.” On receipt of

telegram, A., B., and C. repaired — fortunately, as the event

proved—at different hours to that bird shop. Mr. Dealer had

put two of the birds away, only one was on view. In rushed A.:

“ Has that bird gone ? if you have sold it to B. or C. I will never

buy off you again.” “No, Sir; here it is.” “How much?”

Dealer names a stiff price. “ All right, I’ll take it.” Hardly has

A. departed when, like Esau of old, B. enters. Mr. Dealer has

just got Tanager No. 2 out of concealment. Same scene

repeated, and B. departs, happy in the thought that he has

circumvented A. and C. Hardly have his footsteps died away

when C. arrives breathless from the City. “ I must have that

bird ; I don’t care what price it is ; but A. and B. sha’n’t have it.”

“All right, Sir,” says Mr. Dealer, “here it is;” producing

Tanager No. 3. C. goes off happy and smiling. Next day

A., B., and C. meet. They exalt over their enemies. “ I have

got the only Blue Tanager living,” says A. “ No, y r ou hav'n’t,”

says B., “ I have.” “ Why,” says C., “ I have it; what do you

mean?” Tableau! They repair to that bird shop, vowing

threatenings and slaughter 011 their treacherous friend. But, as

the dealer said to me, with a sly wink, “ I was oiit when they

called.”


But joking apart: we all of us owe the dealer an immense

debt of gratitude. By his means I have obtained birds which I

could never otherwise have seen. I have turned up in his shop

unexpected and unheralded, and, like Solomon did the Queen of

Sheba, “ he has shown me all his royal treasure,” and, like that

wise king, he has told me all that was in his heart; or, at any

rate, as much as he thought it would be good for me to know.

He has handed down cage after cage under conditions which

must have given him very real trouble and inconvenience, and

for the sake of an individual that, as an old Hebrew prophet

once said, “ could not profit him.” He has often given me good

advice, which, had I followed it, would have enabled me to keep

out of much hot water. I sincerely hope often to visit him again

in the future; for I have much to learn and he has much to

teach : and I say of him what we say up here of our miners, “ he

arns all that he gets.” May his losses be few and his profits

large!



