248 BESIDE THE GREAT SALT LAKE. 



of the thicket, making it absolutely impervious 

 to the eye, as well as to the foot of any straggler. 

 Except in the obscure passages the horses kept 

 open, no person could penetrate my jungle. 



I had hardly placed myself, and I had not 

 noted half of these details, when it became 

 evident that my presence disturbed somebody. 

 A chat cried out excitedly, " chack ! chack ! 

 whe-e-w ! " whereupon there followed an angry 

 squawk, so loud and so near that it startled me. 

 I turned quickly, and saw madam herself, all 

 ruffled as if from the nest. She was plainly as 

 much startled as I was, but she scorned to flee. 

 She perked up her tail till she looked like an 

 exaggerated wren ; she humped her shoulders ; 

 she turned this way and that, showing in every 

 movement her anger at my intrusion ; above all, 

 she repeated at short intervals that squawk, like 

 an enraged hen. Hearing a rustle of wings on 

 the other side, I turned my eyes an instant, and 

 when I looked again she had gone ! She would 

 not run while I looked at her, but she had the 

 true chat instinct of keeping out of sight. 



She did not desert her grove, however. The 

 canopy over my head, the roof to my retreat, 

 was of green leaves, translucent, almost trans- 

 parent. The sun was the sun of Utah ; it cast 

 strong shadows, and not a bird could move with- 

 out my seeing it. I could see that she remained 



