106 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



when he returned as usual, to roost that night. While out, 

 it had evidently found the restorative for which it had been 

 pining, and what that might be I now determined, if possi- 

 ble, to discover. The necessity of having a pair of the young 

 birds that I might be enabled to study their habits more ef- 

 fectually, became now more fully apparent ; for I knew, 

 however tame our bird might be now, that if it happened to 

 meet with its old mate or a new one, it would be sure to de- 

 sert us, as a matter of course. Young ones, raised by my- 

 self, I could trust. 



Chance favored me somewhat strangely about this time. 

 I had been out squirrel shooting early one sweltering hot 

 morning ; and, on my return, had thrown myself beneath 

 the shade of a thick hickory, near the bank of a creek. I 

 lay on my back, looking listlessly out across the stream, 

 when the chirp of the humming bird, and its darting form, 

 reached my senses at the same instant. I was sure I saw it 

 light upon the limb of a small iron-wood tree, that happened 

 to be exactly in the line of my vision at that instant. This 

 tree leaned over the water a considerable distance. I thought 

 of Le Vallient and watched steadily. 



In about five minutes, another chirp, and another bird dart- 

 ed in. I saw this one drop upon what seemed to be a knot on 

 an angle of the limb. I heard the soft chirping of greeting and 

 love: I could scarcely contain myself for joy. I would have 

 given anything in the world to have dared to scream. " I've 

 got you I I've got you at last 1" By a great struggle, I choked 

 down my ecstasy and kept still. One of them now flew away ; 

 and, after waiting fifteen minutes, that seemed a week, I rose, 

 and with my eye steadily fixed upon that important limb, I 

 walked slowly down the bank without, of course, seeing 

 where I placed my feet. But, the highest hopes are some- 

 times doomed to a fall, and a fall mine took with a ven- 

 geance ! I caught my foot in a root, and tumbled head fore- 

 most down the bank into the water ! I suppose such a duck- 

 ing would have cooled the enthusiasm of most bird-nesters ; 



