2oo Trails to Woods and Waters 



walked off with the whole brood, without as 

 much as saying ' Thank you for your trouble, 

 Seebright.' " 



It was all just as Ben had supposed. We 

 found the nest empty, and Seebright angrily 

 bristling and clucking under the netting. 



I took her out and put her under my coat, 

 but she would not be comforted. She consid- 

 ered that we had played a mean trick on her 

 and she pecked savagely at me. 



Ben rolled up the netting and we trudged 

 homeward, my companion philosophizing as 

 we went. He was greatly pleased at the turn 

 of affairs, but I was terribly disappointed, for 

 I had planned an elaborate partridge farm 

 from which I would reap great riches. 



" I tell you what, Harry, there isn't much 

 use trying to get ahead of nature and her wild 

 creatures. If you do get one of them in a 

 trap or pitfall, they are so helpless and scorn- 

 ful of you that it takes all the fun out of the 

 victory. 



" But usually they get the best of us just 

 as Mrs. Partridge did. The partridge is a 



