144 STORIES OF BIRD LIFE 



was quiet about the house and barn. The old cat lay out 

 on the shed roof asleep in the sunshine. The boy, wearing 

 his best clothes, had gone away with the horse and buggy 

 some time before. The dog was nowhere in sight. In 

 company with the hens the partridges scratched and wan- 

 dered about the yard. 



Just back of the kitchen was the potato house, a small 

 log structure partially sunk in the ground and roofed with 

 bark. Through the open door of this a hen jumped down 

 to the floor two feet below. Others followed, and soon 

 one of their small friends joined them. 



As the farmer chanced to be crossing his yard he heard 

 a commotion among his hens at the rear of the house and 

 also saw the partridge family running down 'the garden 

 fence. Approaching the door of the potato house he beheld 

 a bobwhite running with low, anxious notes back and forth 

 at the far end and vainly seeking some opening for es- 

 cape. Creeping toward it with lowered head and twitching 

 tail was the ever-hungry house cat. 



With a loud "scat" the man sprang forward. He soon 

 held the trembling partridge in his hands. For a few 

 moments he kept it to admire its beauty. The shining 

 coat, the beautiful beaming dark eyes, and the short, stout 

 beak all spoke to him of elegance and usefulness. It was a 

 female, he knew by the buff color on its throat and head. 



