306 Sporting Sketches 



bristling with stubby feathers, and his wings had 

 become goodly mottled fans ample for the covering 

 of his almost bare sides. He could run with aston- 

 ishing speed, but beyond an occasional fluttering to 

 ease his descent from some log or rail upon which 

 he had climbed, he had not yet used his wings. 

 But there had to be a first time, and when it came, 

 it was a genuine surprise. In a fence corner of the 

 favorite field grew a lot of briers, and close beside 

 them, yet fully exposed to the sun, was a small patch 

 of bare, sandy soil. Mother White knew all about 

 this spot, and when one day she felt the need of a 

 regular dusting, she led the way to it. Squat- 

 ting on the sand, she raised her plumage almost 

 on end, pecked a few times, scratched a little with 

 her feet, then performed a peculiar scraping with her 

 wings, which presently raised a small cloud of dust 

 and sent grains of sand showering through her 

 loosened plumage. 



Robert and the rest scarcely looked at her, but 

 each squatted in a handy place and set to work 

 precisely as she had done. Soon a small cloud of 

 dust almost obscured them. Their dust bath was 

 as cleansing and enjoyable as a plunge into a swim- 

 min'-hole, and for an hour they lazied, dust to the 

 eyes. So dreamily content were they that none 

 noticed an approaching thud-thud, the very same 

 that had previously scared them. Suddenly there 

 was a tremendous crash and a horrible swaying of 

 briers. Without stopping to think Robert sprang 

 into the air and made his wings fairly hum, at the 

 same time and for the first time uttering a shrill 

 " chick-er-ick-tick " of terror. He had no time to 



