FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



The old cabin around which a brood of rosy, happy children 

 once romped now stood doorless, windowless, floorless and de- 

 serted, across the road from the orchard where so many highly- 

 prized studies had been obtained, and beside the open, sunny 

 clover field of the Bobolink. What once had been a front yard 

 that was a gentle little woman's pride and care now answered no 

 description save thicket. A big cottonwood in one corner had 

 thrown up a thousand rank sprouts; so had cherry, peach and 

 plum trees. Cabbage and bride roses had spread to masses; 

 honeysuckle, creeper and grape-vine clambered everywhere, 

 while striped grass and da} T lilies filled the interstices. 



The path Hob travelled to water his horse was worn smooth, 

 and following it around the bushes to the well I could see a 

 new trail leading through knee-deep grass between the thicket 

 and the Cabin. A few steps brought me in sight of the nest. 

 The location was even lower than I remembered it, and while 

 the plum-tree really belonged to the thicket it stood on the very 

 edge adjoining the clover field and the Cabin. The clipping of 

 three little twigs would be all that was necessary to secure the 

 best light there could be on the beautiful brooding bird. 



She was of the black-bill variety. The instant she saw me I 

 paused and waited a long time. Then slowly, and with greater 

 caution than I ever before used, I advanced until I stood at the 

 place where Bob's trail stopped. There the tripod was cautiously 

 set up. Then slipping off a long gray cravenette, rolling it up 

 and placing it as I would a camera I went through every motion 

 necessary to make a study of her. She watched me steadily, 

 but never moved. Had I brought a camera, had light, and the in- 

 tervening twigs been removed, she could have been photographed 

 then. A little clipping was imperative, so thinking it over I 

 decided that she would return to her nest in the evening sooner 

 than in the morning, when she would have left once to bathe and 



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