THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 123 



with this quaint and clever bird, I lend an open ear 

 to the yarn vouched for, as it is, by credible eye- 

 witnesses. 



Eastern magazines inform us that the roadrunner 

 is hopelessly unsociable and will not come within 

 hailing distance of a human being. I can personally 

 refute this as a libel. Early one winter a roadrun- 

 ner leaped over my fence into the flower garden, and 

 remained there until spring, going in and out as it 

 suited his good pleasure. Neither I nor the dogs 

 seemed to annoy him. On the contrary, I some- 

 times sat down on the edge of the porch and waited 

 for him. Presently from the cover of the bushes 

 he would come leaping and bounding, approaching 

 gradually nearer and nearer until he looked me 

 square in the eye. Then for a few seconds he 

 danced — literally danced — opening and closing his 

 wings and executing movements so graceful and en- 

 chanting that I regretted the close of the per- 

 formance and his exit from the scene. At night I 

 often put out chopped meat and presume he ate it. 

 When springtime came he brought a mate to share 

 his home, but apparently it was too cultured for her 

 taste, for the pair disappeared. 



