THE CHILDHOOD OF BIB-NECK 



29 



The game was a short one, for the small bird was no match 

 for his foe. 



As the blackbird was in the act of darting into a clump 

 of sea oats a long yellow foot with claws sharp as needles 

 closed down upon him and one shrill cry told that the end 

 had come. There on some driftwood the hawk stood and, 

 holding its prey with its feet, reached down with its long 

 curved beak and the midday meal began. 



The men who lived 

 at the life-saving sta- 

 tion sometimes came 

 to the part of the 

 beach where the 

 plover family lived. 

 One day two of them 

 passed close to where 

 Bib-neck and his sis- 

 ter were. They sat 

 very close on the sand 

 and the men did not 



see them. Father and mother plover were quite uneasy. 

 They flew close to the men and cried and tried to get the 

 intruders to follow them away. The mother even pre- 

 tended to be lame. AVhen the men saw this one of them 

 said, ^'Look at that bird ; she has a nest or young ones near 

 here, or she would not do that way. I have seen ])artridges 



