The man was busy working on the foundation 
for the house and little Pearl was with him. 
When toward evening the birds came down to 
the water-hole they passed by the camp. Seeing 
no one near, they ran all around the tent, the 
wagon, and the ashes of the campfire, until they 
came upon a pile of mesquite beans that the 
: 
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Ss \ 
they came upon a pile of mesquite beans 
little girl had gathered for them. This was 
such a treat that they came again next day and, 
to make a long story short, they were soon 
coming regularly for the beans that the little 
girl hunted and shelled for them. How long 
this might have kept up, but for the trouble 
207 
