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road which passed but a short distance 

 from the spot where the nest had been. 

 The mother would lead her flock forth 

 where for a few minutes would be enacted 

 an amusing scene as she attempted their 

 education in the art of dusting them- 

 selves. They would stand amazed, watch- 

 ing the cloud of fine dust raised by their 

 teacher, until one by one, they seemed to 

 understand her meaning and then squat- 

 ting down in a circle, they made feeble 

 imitations of her vigorous motions. 



Wayward Bob was one of this family 

 of nine, but as yet he had not been 

 named, and, indeed, had he been, it would 

 have taken a close critic to have distin- 

 guished him from his relatives. 



Bob, together with his brothers and 

 sisters, was seven days old and had 

 learned quite rapidly to pick small bugs 

 from the weeds and grasses, when a great 

 misfortune befell him and I fear but for 

 my timely assistance nine little homeless, 

 motherless quails would have sadly 

 longed for the sturdy care of their affec- 

 tionate guardian. I had repaired to the 

 old wagon road, to scatter a few crumbs 

 upon the ground and watch the antics of 

 my little friends. This time they were 

 later than usual in coming to their dust- 

 ing place. No doubt, the mother had 

 given them a wider knowledge of their 

 little world that day. 



When they came, I caught sight of 

 them some distance from the side of the 

 road, wending their way through a tangle 

 of weeds near a large pile of stones. As 

 I looked a weasel darted from under those 

 concealing rocks. I cried aloud, and 

 rushed forward but my assistance came 

 too late for the heroic little mother ; and 

 thus nine little orphans were thrust upon 

 me for support. The young ones were so 

 terrified by the suddenness of their afflic- 

 tion that they gathered in a helpless knot 

 by the scene of the tragedy. I gently 

 lifted eight of the fluffy chicks and de- 

 posited them in my hat. There was yet 

 one more to be cared for. He looked up 

 with an expression of trust and fear com- 

 mingled. I reached foith my hand to take 

 him, but, being a sturdy little fellow he 

 decided to take his chances in the wide 

 world, so he quickly darted from my hand 

 and disappeared among the many weeds 



close by. I finally captured the wailful 

 son, and fearing lest he should again 

 elude me, I carried him in one hand apart 

 from those in the hat. This is how a little 

 quail came to live with me, and he re- 

 ceived the sturdy name of Bob because of 

 its aptness to his nature. 



Bob's brothers and sisters were given 

 to a bantam hen, who had made a failure 

 with her own brood. She was happy to 

 receive these new cares, and this time ac- 

 complished her maternal duties to her en- 

 tire satisfaction, rearing all to their full 

 growth. But Bob went with me. I placed 

 a box in my room for him, and devoted 

 many pleasant moments to feeding him, 

 watching his growth, and training his 

 belligerent ways. 



My little friend became a great mis- 

 chief as he grew older. He was allowed 

 full freedom that summer and fall and 

 his favorite pastime was annoying a brood 

 of late hatched chickens. Down he would 

 fly among those chicks, pecking at them 

 spitefully, until the mother forced him to 

 beat a hasty retreat. 



One noon as the dining-room door 

 stood ajar, Bob entered with a whirr, 

 alighting upon the table when luncheon 

 was being served. The visitor helped 

 himself daintily from the contents of a 

 platter. I reached my hand toward the 

 pretty offender, but his fear of my touch 

 caused him to fly quickly aside. In doing 

 this he collided with a cup of tea, thus up- 

 setting it, and causing the contents to fall 

 upon my mother's gown. This act barred 

 him from the dining-room, and he then 

 contented himself by pursuing flies and 

 grasshoppers upon the lawn. 



One day a large grasshopper alighted 

 upon my window. Bob's alert form came 

 a moment later, and he made a dart for 

 the coveted morsel. The grasshopper 

 flew across the room, alighting behind a 

 picture which was standing upon a table. 

 Bob, nothing daunted by his late failure, 

 flew rapidly across the room, and against 

 the picture. He had the grasshopper this 

 time, and it disappeared rapidly down his 

 brown throat ; but that was not the end. 

 for the picture toppled forward and fell, 

 breaking the delicate frame work and 

 damaging a much prized portrait. This 

 act brought Bob disgrace and punish- 



