HOW I CAUGHT A TARTAR. 65 



infidelity and inconstancy in seeking a maiden, when 

 the old one was probably weeping her heart ont at his 

 absence. He did not deny the accusation, and rather 

 seemed proud of the fact that he still retained charms 

 enough of his youth to fascinate such a " dear little 

 duck " as the one before us. 



But it came with bad grace from me to chide my 

 protege^ when it was I who had made of the former 

 Mrs. Psittacus a widow, or at least a " grass widow." So 

 I did not pursue the subject, seeing that it was nO mat- 

 ter of mine whether he were wed to the damsel or not. 

 She was adopted into the family, became greatly at- 

 tached to me, and I loved her for her sweet nature and 

 gentle manner. They fed at my table when the fancy 

 took them, but established their own household in the 

 hollow of a dead palmiste on the edge of the wood. 

 Here they dwelt very happily, and the young they 

 reared, from the pretty eggs Mrs. Psittacus the sec- 

 ond deposited on the dry chips at the bottom of the 

 hollow, were taught to look upon me as a friend and 

 protector. 



I have gone ahead of my story somewhat, in this 

 sketch of one of my feathered friends, but I couldn't 

 consistently abandon him, after giving him such a bad 

 character at the beginning. As Crusoe himself says : 

 " How long he might live afterwards I know not ; 

 though I know they have a Notion in the Brasils that 

 they live a hundred Years ; perhaps poor Poll may 

 be alive there still, calling after ' poor Robin Crusoe ' 

 to this Day ! " 



