160 THE TANAGER'S NEST. 



object of tlieiF solicitude, our eyes fell at the 

 same instant on the nest. We dared not speak, 

 but an ecstatic glance from my comrade, with a 

 hand laid on her heart to indicate her emotions, 

 announced that our hopes were fulfilled; it was 

 the nest we were seeking. 



The birds, seeing that we meant to stay, flew 

 away after a while, and we hastened to secrete 

 ourselves before they should return, by pla- 

 cing our camp-stools in a thick growth of sap- 

 lings just higher tlian our heads. We crowned 

 ourselves with fresh leaves, not as conquerors, 

 though such we felt ourselves, but as a disguise 

 to hide our heads. We daubed our faces here 

 and there with an odorous (not to say odious) 

 preparation warranted to discourage too great 

 familiarity on the part of the residents already 

 established in that spot. We subsided into 

 silence. 



The birds returned, but were still wary. As 

 before, the male perched high and kept a sharp 

 eye out on the country around, and I have no 

 doubt soon espied us in our retreat. Madam 

 again tried to "screw her courage up" to visit 

 that nest. Nearer and nearer she came, paus- 

 ing at every step, looking around and calling to 

 her mate to make sure he was near. At last, 

 just as she seemed about to take the last step 

 and go in, and we were waiting breathless for 



