BOYHOOD AND BIKDS. 77 



bird I gazed long and eagerly upon her, and now made out 

 clearly enough the differences in color and outline which had 

 so confused me in the Shrike. She was setting, evidently ; 

 but my heart beat loudly with apprehension when I looked 

 around me and saw that there were a number of boys in 

 sight, who had observed me. Although the nest was most 

 ingeniously placed, and accident alone had revealed it to 

 me ; yet I feared that it would not escape the search of these 

 sharp-eyed ragamuffins, if their suspicion should chance to 

 have been aroused by my position, which would, of course, 

 give them all the clue they needed for a successful search. 

 I rode out slowly towards them, discussing with myself, on 

 the way, whether it was best to tell them the truth and buy 

 them off, or run the risk of removing their suspicions by my 

 indifferent air. I concluded that the last was the best course. 



They were standing on the side of the road, awaiting my 

 approach, and I determined suddenly upon trying a grand 

 stroke of policy, by way of diversion to their lawless enter- 

 prise. 



" Boys," said I, stopping my horse among them, "do you 

 want to make a shilling apiece this morning ?" 



(There were four of them the most incorrigible little row- 

 dies in the place.) 



" Yes ! yes I yes ! What do you want ? What is it ?" 



"Why, I found a squirrel's nest yesterday, out by the 

 Sulphur Spring, and the hollow is too small for my hand. 

 Now, if you will get a hatchet and go out there with me, and 

 one of j^ou climb and cut the hollow for me, I will give you 

 a shilling apiece, and two of the young ones if there are 

 four." 



The proposition was instantly and eagerly accepted. One 

 of the party ran off to his father's house, which was near, for 

 a hatchet ; while we moved slowly on. 



I was just chuckling at the success of my ruse, when one 

 of the little villians looked up with a mischievous expression 

 and asked 



