42 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 



Now, if ever, they should lay up for the future, 

 and prove their right to the name, or kill to 

 amuse themselves, if that were their object. But 

 the closest scrutiny failed to reveal one thorn 

 that was, or, so far as I could see, ever had been, 

 used for any purpose whatever. There was not 

 another spiny tree in the vicinity, and I came 

 away relieved. 



One more interview I was happy enough to 

 have with my little gray friends. Coming lei- 

 surely along on my way home from the glen one 

 noon, I saw two of them sitting on the wire of 

 a fence beside the road. I had never been so 

 near them, and stopped instantly to have a close 

 look, and perhaps settle the question whether 

 the black band on the side of the head ended 

 at the beak, or crossed over the forehead and 

 met its fellow. I found, at this short range, 

 that the light part of the plumage was covered 

 with fine but decided wavy bars, which gave it 

 an exquisite look, and proved the bird to be the 

 great northern, rather than the loggerhead 

 shrike (I could n't bear to have my bright 

 beauty called a loggerhead). 



Very gradually I drew nearer, till T was not 

 more than six feet from them, and could see 

 them clearly, while they remained perfectly self- 

 possessed for ten or fifteen minutes that I stood 

 there. So near was I that I could see the white 



