94 WHIMSICAL WAYS IN BIRD-LAND. 



In a moment she would repeat the performance 

 from an elm sapling, and again turn anxious 

 and lingering glances in still another direction. 

 Then, as if now she surely must go home, she 

 would slip in among the bushes, apparently try- 

 ing to keep out of sight. At last, having thor- 

 oughly mystified me, and confused my ideas past 

 clearing up, with a dozen or more hints, she 

 would fly over the small elm and disappear, in 

 a different direction from any one of the places 

 she had with such pretended reluctance pointed 

 out. Nor was the nest to be found by following 

 any of her hints. 



One day, when the beguiling little dame had 

 exasperated me beyond endurance, I suddenly 

 resolved to track her to the nest, if it took 

 the whole day. So when she flung herself, in 

 her usual way, over the small elm, I instantly 

 followed, in my humbler fashion. Under the 

 fence I crept, through the patched-up opening 

 the cows had broken through, and up the path 

 they had attempted to make. Now I fully ap- 

 preciated the wisdom of the bird in the choice 

 of a nesting-site. The very blackberry bushes 

 appeared to league themselves together for her 

 protection, stretching long, detaining arms, and 

 clutching my garments in all sorts of unex- 

 pected and impossible ways ; and while I care- 

 fully disengaged one, half a dozen others 



