4 
=> 
they ventured farther and farther, resting 
now and then on the bare branches of 
apple-trees and such-like perches until 
they got stronger and stronger and could 
wheel and soar nearly as well as their 
parents. By this time the old ones were 
just as busy as ever with a fresh family, 
so that by the end of the summer there 
were quite a number of them. Then 
the flies began to get fewer and fewer, 
and the nights sometimes were quite cold, 
and they began to get ready for their 
long journey over the seas. 
Every day strange parties of martins 
would arrive, and then more and more 
until they were quite thick, resting on 
the roofs of houses and in long rows 
on the telegraph wires. For some of 
them were tired, having already come 
a long way. Every day, as fast as 
299 
