ROBIN 



cerning him. Just as I thought his brood would come off safely, 

 a new man was put on the gang. I did not notice his arrival 

 from the house in which we lived on the premises, but seeing 

 that they were running a veranda on the new house close 

 the Robin's tree I hurried out for his protection only to meet 

 him coming after me, screaming frantically, "Kip, kip, kip!" and 

 uttering sharp alarm cries. 



I ran, but it was too late. His branch had brushed across 

 the face of the new workman as he set up a pillar, and whirling, 

 with one stroke of his hatchet he slashed through a limb as thick 

 as his wrist which fell to the ground, tearing off the nest and break- 

 ing the eggs. Any member of that gang is qualified to tell 

 what I say and do when angry. Then I was sure we should lose 

 our bird, but he went to the front of the lot and located thirty 

 feet high in a big elm coming to the well for food as usual. 



That gang was broken to birds, however, for a few days later 

 the foreman came to the door, grinning in confusion to tell me 

 that a pair of Pigeons had built a nest at the base of a big chim- 

 ney, that turned and twisted its way to completion, carrying 

 drafts for five fireplaces, and at a last turn, where it cleared 

 the attic rafters, the birds had built and laid their pair of 

 beautiful eggs. They were brooding and he did not know what 

 to do. 



"Let them alone," I said. "Don't allow a man to touch 

 them." 



" But we are going to shingle," he protested. 



"Then shingle!" I retorted. "You will be fifteen feet above 

 the bird." 



"But the siding and shingling of the upper walls come next," 

 he objected. " Shall we pen them in? " 



"No, go on with your work as if they were not there. When 

 the walls are enclosed there will be three window openings, and 



143 



