32 THE NEST " HARRIED" CHAP. n. 



guessing what was about to be done, he intended to 

 ask the man for the nest and its contents. The man 

 was about to ascend the ladder, when, after feeling 

 his pockets and finding that something had been for- 

 gotten, he sent the boy back to the shed for something 

 or other, most probably a trowel. Then, having 

 struck a light, and set fire to his pipe, the man betook 

 himself to the churchyard, which was near at hand. 



A thought now struck Tom. Might he not take 

 the nest himself without waiting for it, and perhaps 

 without getting it after all ? He looked about. He 

 looked into the churchyard gate, nearly opposite. He 

 saw nobody. The coast was clear. Tom darted across 

 the street, and went rapidly up the ladder. Some- 

 body shrieked to him from a window on the other 

 side. It staggered him at first. But he climbed 

 upward ; got to the nest, and, after some wriggling 

 and twisting, he pulled it away, and got down before 

 either the man or the boy had returned. 



It was eggs that he wanted, but, lo and behold ! 

 here was a nest of five well-fledged birds. Instead 

 of taking the birds home, Tom was foolish enough to 

 take them with him to school. He contrived to get 

 the nest into the school unobserved, and put it below 

 the form on which he was seated, never thinking that 

 the little things would get hungry, or try to make 

 their escape. All went on well for about an hour. 

 Then there was a slight commotion. A chirrup was 

 heard. And presently the throats of all were opened 



