34 Wilderness Ways. 



the amount of food which Killooleet took away with 

 him, I knew she was brooding her eggs. And when 

 at last both birds came together, and, instead of help- 

 ing themselves hungrily, each took the largest morsel 

 he could carry and hurried away to the nest, I knew 

 that the little ones were come ; and I spread the plate 

 more liberally, and moved it away to the foot of the 

 old cedar, where Killooleet's mate would not be afraid 

 to come at any time. 



One day, not long after, as I sat at a late breakfast 

 after the morning's fishing, there was a great stir in 

 the underbrush. Presently Killooleet came skipping 

 out, all fuss and feathers, running back and forth with 

 an air of immense importance between the last bush 

 and the plate by the cedar, crying out in his own 

 way, " Here it is, here it is, all right, just by the old 

 tree as usual. Crackers, trout, brown bread, porridge; 

 come on, come on ; don't be afraid. He 's here, but 

 he won't harm. I know him. Come on, come on ! " 



Soon his little gray mate appeared under the last 

 bush, and after much circumspection came hopping 

 towards the breakfast ; and after her, in a long line, 

 five little Killooleets, hopping, fluttering, cheeping, 

 stumbling, all in a fright at the big world, but all in 

 a desperate hurry for crackers and porridge ad libitum; 

 now casting hungry eyes at the plate under the old 



