A TRANSIENT BOARDER. 



C. S. COOK. 



WHEN I came down stairs in the 

 morning I found him in pos- 

 session of the premises. I 

 watched him for a few minutes 

 with much interest. I had not before 

 seen a California wren, and found him 

 very different in appearance and con- 

 duct from the eastern wrens with which 

 I was acquainted. " VVrensie " was 

 very self-possessed, and did not appear 

 to resent my intrusion at all. In fact, 

 he seemed disposed to ignore my pres- 

 ence, a fact which led me to judge it 

 best to adopt the same course toward 

 him. 



I must explan our situation a little by 

 saying that, as the cottage in which I 

 was living was in a very unfinished con- 

 dition, the lower floor was not divided 

 by any partitions, the kitchen in the 

 L and the front room forming one large 

 room. 



The weather being warm, and the 

 walls open, the flies were very numer- 

 ous in the room, a fact evidently keenly 

 appreciated by the little fellow, for, as I 

 proceeded to sweep the whole house 

 he did not allow his industry to be seri- 

 ously interfered with. While I was 

 busy in the attic he was not idle down 

 stairs; while I was regulating the front 

 room he was picking up things in the 

 kitchen. When I approached him too 

 closely he would quietly slip out of 

 doors through one of the numerous 

 openings about the floor, or perhaps go 

 up into the attic which was very acces- 

 sible to him. He rarely remained out 

 of doors more than a few minutes at a 

 time. A forenoon of house-cleaning 

 would seem more favorable to an 

 estrangement than to a rapproche- 

 ment; yet while I was at dinner I felt 

 something upon my foot. Looking un- 

 der the table I saw Wrensie perched 

 upon my shoe. While I watched him 

 he jumped up on a fold of my trous- 

 ers, apparently thinking it a better 

 point of observation. He was not dis- 

 turbed by my interest nor by my mo- 

 tions at the table. He never seemed 

 to mind ordinary motions even when he 

 was very near, W^ith other birds I have 



considered entire quiet necessary under 

 such circumstances. 



I maintained my policy of manifest- 

 ing no concern as to Wrensie's move- 

 ments, merely abstaining from making 

 any very sudden or rapid motions 

 which would be likely to startle him. 

 With this single exception I went about 

 all work freely. While I would have 

 been glad to cultivate his acquaintance, 

 quickly, I thought it better not to 

 try to do so. The universal method of 

 winning favor in the eyes of such stran- 

 gers is to feed them; but Wrensie would 

 have nothing but live game, and no 

 kitchen delicacy received a moment's 

 attention. Fortunately, however, there 

 was little need of studying to win his 

 confidence, as but little encouragement 

 was necessay. He was afraid of noth- 

 ing; not from innocent ignorance by 

 any means, but from complete self- 

 confidence. He was not defiant, but 

 intrepid. This confidence was not 

 gained by observing that he was not 

 molested, but had its source in the 

 spirit of the bird, as shown by the fact 

 that there was little difference in his 

 demeanor during the six days he was 

 with me. 



The next day a mason came to the 

 ranch to see about a proposed fireplace 

 and chimney. As we stood talking 

 over the matter, one on each side of a 

 small table, my little boarder came and 

 made a thorough search for game 

 among the various articles on the table. 

 While working in the kitchen I often 

 found him at my feet, several times 

 even between them as I stood at the 

 stove or table. This was a position of 

 such danger to him that I felt obliged 

 to be very cautious in my movements. 

 Occasionally he would perch on my 

 shoulder or head, never staying very 

 long but never betraying any distrust. 



It was most entertaining to watch him 

 in his pursuit of game. As a hunter 

 he was full of resources, untiring in his 

 efforts, insatiable in his appetite. 

 When he saw a fly on the floor or table 

 near him he would slowly and stealthily 

 approach, his little black eyes snapping. 



