AMONG THE BIRDS. 165 



the weapon sharp, she returned to her sons and said, 

 " There, that'll settle him ! And then for the watch ! " 

 Audubon silently touched his dog, cocked his rifle, 

 and was ready to shoot the person who first attempted his 

 life. He had almost risen to fire at the woman, when 

 the door burst open and two stout travelers entered. 

 Audubon sprang to his feet, and the Indian bounded 

 up and danced for joy ; for he, like Audubon, had lain 

 in fear of his life. The whole story was soon told, 

 when the woman and her sons were bound, and the 

 next day were carried away and punished. 



38. AMONG THE BIRDS. 



WITH a group of wild mallard ducks in view, we be- 

 gin to learn something about birds. Do you expect a 

 definition of a bird? Let me the rather ask you the 

 question, What is a bird ? and leave you to answer it. 

 I think I hear some bright girl saying, ' ' A bird is an 

 animal that flies." Is it, indeed? Is a bat a bird, and 

 are there no birds that do not fly? What about the 

 ostrich, and the penguin which has no feathered wings 

 to fly with? 



Another suggests something about feathers. Ah ! 

 that springs a thought in the right direction. Now run 

 over in your mind all the different kinds of animals 

 you can think of, and see whether any of them besides 

 birds have feathers. It would be well to get some 

 feathers a wing, for example and examine them 



