other hand, a herring gull is twenty-four inches 
long and weighs about a pound and a half. But 
these facts did not worry the kingbird. In- 
stantly he dashed at the great intruder upon his 
domain and, flying about him, came squarely 
down on his broad back. Grasping a feather in 
his beak, he pulled with all his might. His au- 
dacity was appalling, for he had attacked old 
Hardheart, the strongest and fiercest of all the 
herring gulls on the coast between Maine and 
Cape Hatteras. 
Hardheart fled. There was nothing else for 
him to do. Two or three times he struck at the 
kingbird with his heavy beak but he could not 
reach him, for that little black-backed, white- 
breasted guardian of the old orchard in Mont- 
clair could fly circles around any gull that ever 
lived. So there was nothing to do but flee as fast 
as he could. The kingbird followed, snapping his 
bill, and no doubt abusing him soundly in the 
kingbird language until the big bird was driven 
clear out of town. Whether the kingbird ex- 
pected his mate to join him here I do not know, 
but when little Edith went out into the garden 
32 
