196 Trails to Woods and Waters 



pounding the life out of Seebright when we 

 are gone? " asked Ben. " It won't do to 

 move the eggs." 



" We can stake down some wire netting 

 over the nest and make it tight enough so not 

 even a weasel could get in." 



" Quite a plan, Harry, quite a plan," re- 

 plied Ben. " I believe I will try it. I'd be 

 curious to see how it would work myself." 



About three weeks later one evening at 

 dusk old Ben and I might have been seen 

 hurrying to the woods. I had Seebright un- 

 der my coat and she was clucking and scold- 

 ing away vigorously. Ben was carrying a 

 large roll of fine wire netting and some stakes 

 that he had made for the purpose. 



" It's a mean trick," he said as we climbed 

 over the wall, " but I am mighty curious to 

 see how it will come out." 



Mrs. Partridge was very loath to leave her 

 nest, for she knew as well as we did that it 

 was nearly time for her eggs to hatch. So 

 she quitted and fluttered about for a time, 

 trying every stratagem known to mother 



