Robert White, jr. 307 



think of direction, but buzzed away for twenty yards 

 as he happened to be pointed, then sank panting 

 into some green stuff, where he at once crouched. 



For the first time in his life he was entirely alone. 

 The novel exertion and the scare combined made 

 his heart thump, and in dread of he knew not what 

 he pressed his scanty plumage close and waited as 

 motionless as a clod. Where his mother had gone 

 he could not even guess. He had heard the roar of 

 her wings, and dimly seen the others leap like big 

 grasshoppers all about him, and that ended his 

 knowledge of the disaster. He knew he had made 

 his first flight, and he wished he hadn't, for he was 

 lost and scared ; yet something told him to sit tight 

 and wait. Meanwhile among the briers arose Farmer 

 Brown, and he said : " Durn that rotten rail anyhow ! 

 Here I've gone an' skinned my arm fur six inches 

 an' fell atop of my little quails an' most skeered 'em 

 to death, I reckon ! The young cusses were takin' a 

 dustin', fur here's their little wallows an' shed feath- 

 ers, which proves they're gettin' quite sizable." 



To Robert that wait seemed dreadfully long ; in 

 reality it did not exceed fifteen minutes ; but at last 

 came his release. A plaintive whistle, vibrant with 

 tender anxiety, sounded from a near-by thicket. " Ka- 

 loi-hee ! Ka-loi-hee ! Ka-loi-te / " it said, and as 

 it ended Robert rose to his feet and shook himself. 

 Because he never had been " scattered " before, he 

 never had heard a similar sound ; yet he knew his 

 mother's voice and that it meant he should join her. 

 He wasn't quite sure of the direction, so for a mo- 

 ment he waited irresolutely. Again rose the rally- 

 ing call, louder and clearer, and his keen ears told 



