148 More Tales of the Birds 



I don't know what mightn't happen if you didn't 

 treat him with proper respect. Honour where 

 honour is due, my boy ! " 



So I always made my three bows, which 

 seemed to please both the bird and his master. 

 I say "master" now, but in those days I 

 never thought of him as the magpie's master, 

 nor of the bird as his property. I considered 

 Mag as a member of the family, about whom 

 there was something rather mysterious. It was 

 only when I grew older that I began to think 

 of asking questions about him, and it was not 

 till the very last evening before I left to join 

 the training-ship that I ventured to ask the 

 history of my revered friend. But the farmer 

 would not tell me then. " When you're ready 

 to fight for the Queen, then I'll tell you the 

 story," he said. 



So I had to wait a pretty long time ; and 

 whenever I came home from the Britannia and 

 called at Slade Croft, I felt my curiosity in- 

 creasing. The story must be worth hearing, or 

 I should not have been kept waiting for it so 

 long. And when I was gazetted midshipman, 





