CARDINAL 19 



tunately one of the wires had become loose — perhaps 

 the bird had loosened it — and by working at it he had 

 succeeded in bending it and finally had managed to 

 squeeze through and make his escape. Running out 

 into the plantation I was soon apprised of his where- 

 abouts by his loud call-note ; but though he could 

 not fly, but only hop and flutter from branch to 

 branch — his wings never having been exercised — he 

 refused to be caught. I was advised to wait until 

 he was hungry, then to try him with the cage. This 

 I did, and, taking the cage, placed it on the ground 

 under the trees and retired a few paces, holding it 

 open by means of a string which when released would 

 cause the door to fly to. He became greatly excited 

 on seeing the cage, and being very hungry soon came 

 down to the ground and, to my joy, hopped up to 

 it. But he did not go in : it seemed to me that he 

 was considering the matter, if the state he was in 

 of being pulled in opposite directions by two equally 

 importunate impulses may be so described. " Must 

 I go in and satisfy my hunger — and live in prison ; or 

 stay out and keep my freedom and go hungry ? " 

 He stood at the door of the cage, looking in at the 

 seed, then turned and looked at me and at the 

 trees, then looked at the seed again, and raised and 

 lowered his shining crest and flirted his wings and 

 tail, and was excited and in two minds and a 

 quandary ; finally, after taking one more look at 

 the tempting seed, he deliberately flew or fluttered up 

 to the nearest branch, then to another, and so on, 



