THE DESCHUTES RAVEN 41 



No other birds of equal curiosity and intelli- 

 gence have I ever seen. Far off in the most dis- 

 tant wilderness, where possibly no human foot 

 had trodden for months, we would camp, and 

 immediately the robbers would gather, flapping 

 out of some tall fir-top across a meadow to light 

 upon the tree-top nearest to us. Here they would 

 perch and squall, and find their way down to 

 the sizzling frying-pans, to see what sour-dough 

 bread was like, and if there might be anything 

 left in the condensed-milk tins. 



Right out of the unbroken forest they came, 

 straight down to the fire — because they wanted 

 to know what they did n't understand. The in- 

 terest (curiosity, if you choose), the confidence, 

 the impertinence, indeed, seemed so unnatural, 

 unbirdlike, here where all was wild, as to be 

 almost uncanny. No crow or raven would go 

 to that length, because the years of persecution 

 have taught them to temper their curiosity with 

 extreme caution; but both birds, and all the mem- 

 bers of the family, are at heart friendly, and would 

 get on well with us, would we show ourselves 

 neighborly. 



And they shall get on with us. For the first 



