THE SUMMIT OF THE YEARS 



been. It seemed as if she could not convince herself 

 that the nest was not there. She had brought a 

 beetle in her bill, and this she hammered upon the 

 limb each time she perched, as if it in some way 

 might be at fault. How her blue wings flickered in 

 the empty air above the dark water, and not more 

 than ten or twelve feet from the actual visible en- 

 trance to the nest she had lost! 



Presently she dropped her bug and flew off 

 through the woods calling for her mate. Her action 

 seemed very human. Surely he would clear up the 

 mystery. In a moment or two, both birds, with food 

 in their bills, were perched upon the branch a few 

 feet above the spot where the nest had been. I can 

 recall yet the confident air with which the male 

 dropped down to that vacant spot. Could he not 

 see that there was nothing there? No, seeing was 

 not convincing. He must do just as he had done 

 so many times before. He tried it again and again; 

 then the two birds took turns in trying it. They 

 assaulted the empty air vigorously, persistently, 

 as if determined that it must give up their lost ones. 

 Finally they perched upon a branch higher up and 

 seemed to pause to consider. The machines ceased 

 to act. At this instant the mother bird spied the 

 hole that was the entrance to her nest and flew 

 straight to it. Her treasures were found. 



In that moment did she cease to be a machine, 

 and show a spark of free intelligence? It looks so at 

 122 



