Bannertail 



plaguing crawlers. She combed herself, 

 she scratched and searched her coat from 

 head to tail, and on her neck, where she 

 could not see, she combed and combed, 

 till of this she was certain, no insects of 

 the tickling, teasing kind were going with 

 her to the new home. Then seizing her 

 baby by the neck-scruff, up she bounded, 

 and in ten heart-beats he was lying in 

 their new and fragrant bed. 



For a little while she cuddled him there, 

 to "bait him to it," as the woodsmen say. 

 Then, with a parting licking of his head, 

 she quit the nest and hied away for the 

 rest of the brood. 



Bannertail had taken the hint. He 

 was still up high, watching, but not going 

 near the old nest. 



Silvergray took number two and did 

 the very same with him, deloused him 

 thoroughly on the same old perch, then 

 left him with the first. The third went 



[132] 



