SHARP EYES. 61 



whom it might concern to the fact that a culprit of 

 some sort was hiding from the light of day in the old 

 apple-tree. I heard the notes of warning and alarm 

 and approached to within eye-shot. The bluebirds 

 were cautious and hovered about uttering their pe- 

 culiar twittering calls ; but the jays were bolder and 

 took turns looking in at the cavity, and deriding the 

 poor, shrinking owl. A jay would alight in the en- 

 trance of the hole and flirt and peer and attitudinize, 

 and then fly away crying " Thief, thief, thief," at 

 the top of his voice. 



I climbed up and peered into the opening, and 

 could just descry the owl clinging to the inside of 

 the tree. I reached in and took him out, giving lit- 

 tle heed to the threatening snapping of his beak. He 

 was as red as a fox and as- yellow-eyed as a cat. He 

 made no effort to escape, but planted his claws in my 

 forefinger and clung there with a grip that soon 

 grew uncomfortable. I placed him in the loft of an 

 out-house in hopes of getting better acquainted with 

 him. By day he was a very willing prisoner, scarcely 

 moving at all, even when approached and touched 

 with the hand, but looking out upon the world with 

 half -closed, sleepy eyes. But at night what a change ; 

 how alert, how wild, how active ! He was like an- 

 other bird ; he darted about with wide, fearful eyes, 

 and regarded me like a cornered cat. I opened the 

 window, and swiftly, but as silent as a shadow, he 

 glided out into the congenial darkness, and perhaps, 

 ere this, has revenged himself upon the sleeping jay 

 or bluebird that first betrayed his hiding-place. 



