INTO THE TERRA-NOVA COUNTRY 11 



hurried along according to the peculiar progression of each. 

 It was a strange and pretty sight, and still more so when the 

 herring gull, uttering his familiar " Waw-waw-waw " of his 

 species, rose, flew up to the boy, and, with outstretched 

 wings, ran before him to our fireside. 



" Well, I hope you've brought the entire menagerie, Mike," 

 I said, as we offered to each some acceptable dainty. 



"Oh yes," replied the boy, with a sigh, as he poured him- 

 self out a cup of tea. " They alius go with me everywhere, 

 'cept of course to trains. Trains is bad for birds. Goats and 

 sheep can look after theirselves, but birds get kind of silly 

 when ye pets 'em, Thar was Dan, a big gull like Jack thar 

 (pointing to the grey bird), I had 'im fer three year, and 

 he'd 'most come to bed wi' me, but his wing was cut, as I 

 feared he'd go away altogether. But one day that blamed 

 fool of a no account engine-man, Bill Straw, what can't drive 

 for nuts, run over 'im 'ere in Turnover Station and cut his 

 head off, I wudn't 'a' lost that bird fer ten dollars, an' Bill 

 said he'd get me 'nother gull, but he never done it. Damn 

 him," and little Mike sighed and expectorated reflectively. 



" How do you get the gulls, Mike?" I inquired, 



" Oh, there's plenty come to nest here, summer time, but 

 they're hard to rear. ' Jack ' thar, now, I took when he 

 warn't no bigger than a chicken, and though he goes away 

 winter for a few weeks, he alius comes back in the spring with 

 the old grey and white fellers, I've had 'im three years 

 now, and he's a splendid catch. Here, Jack, catch!" said 

 the little fellow, flinging a piece of bacon rind high into the 

 air. The sharp-eyed gull instantly floated aloft, and caught 

 the piece dexterously as it fell. " Tom now thar," continued 

 my visitor, "he can't fly, as he's kind o' crippled in one wino-, 

 but he's a great runner ; " and to show his skill a piece of 



