WAS IT A SEQUEL ? 61 



for me ; then I buckled the reins around the 

 trunk of the oak and withdrew into the brush to 

 watch my birds. It was a cozy little nook, from 

 which Billy could be heard stamping- his feet to 

 shake off the flies. The little crack in the chap- 

 arral was a pleasant place to sit in, protected as it 

 was from the wind, with the sun only coining in 

 enough to touch up the brown leaves on the ground 

 and warm the fragrant sage, bringing out its de- 

 licious spicy aromatic smell. 



The pewee did not altogether relish having us 

 established under its vine and fig-tree. When it 

 saw Billy under the 'tree it whistled, and the bit 

 of grass it had brought for its nest went sailing 

 down to the brush disregarded. It did not think 

 us as bad as the blue jay, however, for it came 

 back with a long stem of grass in its bill, and, 

 lighting on a high branch, called pee-ree. To be 

 sure, when it had gone to the nest and I was in- 

 considerate enough to turn a page in my note-book, 

 it dashed off. But if murder will out, so will 

 good intentions ; and before long the timid bird 

 was brooding its nest with Billy and me for spec- 

 tators. 



The gnat's nest here was so much lower than 

 the other one that it was much easier to watch. 

 The first day the birds built rapidly. One of 

 them got his spider's web from beside the pewee's 

 nest, when the pewee was away. He started to go 

 for it once after the owner had returned, caught 



