182 THE COMICAL CHEBEC 



While sitting at my window I would 

 sometimes hear a strange bird- voice on the 

 maple-tree. Very carefully would I peep out 

 to see. Lo ! chebec was there before me on 

 the lowest limb, turning his head this way 

 and that. I knew his eyes were quicker than 

 mine and his position more favorable, so I 

 would look at him to see where to turn my 

 eyes. In one instant he would dart off to- 

 ward the top of the tree, and somebody would 

 vanish in a hurry. 



There was once an amusing scene between 

 chebec and a robin. The robin alighted on 

 a fence, nearer the old tree than was agree- 

 able to its fiery resident, who consequently 

 flung himself upon the larger bird with his 

 harshest cry. The robin departed, as who 

 would not before such an onslaught ? but 

 in an instant he returned with loud cries of 

 rage and defiance going through his whole 

 vocabulary of insulting, mocking, and taunt- 

 ing notes, flirting his tail and jerking his 

 wings, daring the small foe to try it again. 

 He could not get over it. He was evidently 

 furious thai he had been surprised into 

 flight, and wished to wipe out the fact by his 



