THE LOST HEIR RESTORED. 159 



at the nest, with a view to appropriating a portion 

 of it to his own use on a future occasion. 



Well, at last the young birds were discovered, 

 half starved, in the possession of their original 

 captor, who willingly delivered them up. It was 

 proposed to rear them in a state of domestication, 

 and the operation of clipping their wings had 

 already been performed on three of them, before 

 the idea occurred to me that, even yet, at the 

 eleventh hour, it was just possible that the resto- 

 ration of the remaining perfect bird to the nest 

 might have the effect of attracting the attention of 

 either of the old ones if they should happen to re- 

 visit the neighbourhood. Although but a forlorn 

 hope, the attempt was worth the trial. It was 

 late in the evening, I remember, when I put it in 

 execution, and the next morning found me again 

 on my way to the fir clump. Impatient to learn 

 the result of my experiment, yet entertaining only 

 a shadowy belief in the possibility of its success, 

 I hastened to the park. Scarcely venturing to 

 raise my eyes as I ascended the slope, I listened 

 attentively, but no sound indicated the return of 

 my absent friends. However, the scene soon 

 changed, and amply was I repaid for all my pre- 

 vious care and anxiety, on perceiving, as I topped 

 the hill, both the old ravens issuing from the trees, 

 and flying round my head just as if nothing had 



