THE ROBINS GO A-TRAVELLING 



swooping down upon them. Jenny's atti- 

 tude of rigidity saved her, but Chupes, in 

 seeking a hiding-place, flew directly into 

 danger. I thought I saw the cruel talons 

 close on him, and as the hawk soared away, 

 I was certain that my little friend was in 

 his strong fierce grasp. But in spite of the 

 apparent hopelessness of the case, I set out 

 to make a thorough search for Chupes as 

 soon as I had caged his companion. Half 

 an hour passed without bringing any trace 

 of the missing bird. " It's no use," I ex- 

 claimed dejectedly. " Long before this 

 the tender little fellow will have been 

 served out to the wife and babies of that 

 terrible hunter." 



" Don't give him up yet," said an opti- 

 mistic friend, who, from the house, had 

 observed my distress and hurried to my 

 aid. " He is perhaps hiding. Let him 

 have time to recover from his fright." 

 J 35 



