80 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



therefore, had been very great to retain these valuable birds 

 in close confinement, rather than run such risks, and indeed 

 we had determined to do so should we succeed in obtaining 

 them ; but now the sight of that gentle mother had moved 

 us, and, to confess the truth, we felt our tenure to be so very 

 insecure, that we were just now a little like the sailor in the 

 storm, ready to promise his patron saint pretty much any- 

 thing if he would only help him out this time ! 



As we returned from our ride, all was safe, and I took 

 good care to be along that way several times during the 

 day. So the matter progressed for several days, and as our 

 solicitude had been rewarded by finding everything right 

 at each of our frequent visits thus far, we had commenced 

 congratulating ourselves that the danger was over, and that 

 my strategy had succeeded in turning aside the dangerous 

 curiosity of the boys. 



It was in this mood we approached the, now, interesting 

 thorn tree, on the fourth morning of our rides in this direc- 

 tion. We were discussing between ourselves the probabili- 

 ties of the young being hatched by this time, for, as yet, we 

 had only caught a glimpse of the greenish eggs, spotted with 

 amber brown, when the brooding female lifted a wing as she 

 shifted her position. We were in the midst of a gay and 

 happy chatter when we reached the tree, before I observed 

 that we were so near. There was an exclamation of pain 

 and surprise from my sister. I looked the nest was gone ! 

 The shady and thorn-guarded bosom of the tree was bare, to 

 a few dried twigs and shreds of roots ! A choking sensation 

 of rage and grief came over me as I sprang from the saddle 

 to examine for traces of the robbers. Vengeance was the 

 first thought. "Look! look brother! they are dead!" and 

 my sister points to the foot of the tree, where, on a scrap of 

 old carpet, the poor little callow things, just one day in an 

 inhospitable world, lay stark and motionless. 



"Poor things they are dead !" and I stooped to examine 

 them. They certainly could not have been more than a day 



