200 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



Had she been to the pepper-trees so much less 

 than he that she was over-troubled by my pres- 

 ence, and therefore the gallant black knight who 

 sang to her so sweetly and was so tender of her, 

 seeing her fears, took the work upon himself ? 

 Perchance he had said, " If you are timid, my 

 love, I will build for you while she is by, for I 

 would not have you come near if it would dis- 

 quiet you." 



In any event, he built away quite unconcern- 

 edly not three rods from where I sat on the 

 ground staring at him. He would fly to the 

 earth for material, but return to the nest from 

 above, pitching down to it as if having nothing 

 to hide. Once, when resting, he perched on the 

 tree, and I talked to him quite freely. That noon 

 the phainopeplas were at the house before me, 

 and I went out to talk to them while they lunched 

 to let them know it was only I who had visited 

 their nest, so they would have new confidence on 

 the morrow. 



But on the morrow they flew to another part 

 of the island, and when we followed, although I 

 hitched Billy farther away from the nest tree and 

 sat quietly behind a brush screen, they did not 

 come back. A brown chippie plumed his feathers 

 unrebuked in their oak, making the place seem 

 more deserted than before. A lizard ran out 

 from the grape cuttings at my feet, and a little 

 black and white mephitis cantered along over 



